Harry Potter: Reflections of reality
by Manatheron
Summary: A Series of One-shots and Short stories that I never really expanded on. T-M for Language, Violence, and the occasional Risque' Scene
1. Divergent Paths

"": Regular speech "I vow revenge"

_{Italics}: _Thoughts _I'll pound some sense into him_

"{Underlined}": Mental Projection speech(telepathy) "Hello, and what have we here?"

_{underlined}:_ Protected thoughts rather than projected _I'm glad they can't hear me_

At first it was dark… then came the light, slowly hearing returned and then touch. Harry could feel the hands of the gaurds that were holding him up. He could feel them dragging him across the floor. What was happening however didn't sink in however until harry felt the chains unwrapping themselves and binding him to the chair. Looking up harry could faintly see the smirking faces of Minister fudge as well as the leering face of senior undersecretary umbridge. Luckily one of Harry's guard was at least a little sympathetic and slipped his glasses onto his face. Looking around Fudge stood calling attention to himself

"We gather today to hear the accusations against one, Harry James Potter. Mr. Potter the crimes against you stand as follows. One account Manslaughter against one Cedric digerdy, one account aggravated assault against one Draco Malfoy, breaking and entering into the ministry of magic, unauthorized access into a ministry restricted location, unauthorized access and destruction of a prophecy sphere, rebellion against a ministry appointed headmistress, and Three accounts of unforgivable curses, one Imparius against a Mr. Vincent krum causing him to use Caractus on Mrs. Fluer Delcor, And the use of the caractus against one party unknown. How do you plead?"

Harry winced. Up in the stands Dumbledore stood up.

"Minister, I would like to defend the..."

"Sit down Albus, you can't defend him for the same reason that you were suspended from your position on the Wizengamut for the trial, you've been deemed to close to the defendant."

"May I ask why he hasn't legal council then?"

Fudge looked up sharply and a tad smugly.

"Because this is merely an inquest, not a full trial. Of course if he were to admit to a wrongdoing of sufficient severity we would be forced to move to a full trial. Now please, sit. I would hate to have you found in contempt of the court."

Harry sighed and replied with just a touch of bitterness in his voice.

"I told you already minister, Cidric was murdered at the end of the Tri-wizard tournament by Peter Pettigrew. In relation to the other charges, I never cast the spell on Krum, that was Bartimus Crouch Jr. under polyjuice to look like Alastar Moody, You know, the man you had kissed before he could testify."

Fudge slammed down his gavel

"stick to the topic at hand."

Harry scowled at him but complied.

"I have no recollection of raising a wand against Draco except in self defence, but I don't deny entereing the department of mysteries. I was trying to save my godfather and I stumbled upon the hall of prophesy's by accident."

The moment the words left his mouth Harry cringed and hoped that fudge would miss his slip up, Unfortunately the buzzing in the room told him that even if Fudge had, there were several others who had not.

"Your godfather Mr. Potter?"

_Dammit_

"Yes minister"

"Do you mean the infamous Mr. Sirius Black? Convicted Murderer and supporter of He-who-must-not-be-named?"

_Damn Damn DAMN!_

"Yes minister."

Fudges voice suddenly took on a smooth oily tone that Harry instantly associated with Lucius Malfoy.

"And why precisely would you be attempting to save the man who betrayed your parents Mr Potter?"

"Because he didn't minister, Peter Pettigrew did."

Fudge gave him an indulgent smile that immediately set Harry's teeth on edge.

"So you say. We can come back to that at the official trial. While evidence collected through the use of the echo spell bares out the majority of your testimony there is one echo I was most interested in. You do know that use of the echo spell do you not Mr Potter?"

"If you mean the 'Priori Incantatum' spell then yes I do."

"In that case I believe that you have one accusation that you have not replied to yet. Why precisely does your wand bare an echo of the Cracatus curse Mr. Potter?"

Harry briefly considered Lying, but rejected the Idea a short moment later.

"I used it to try and subdue Belletrix Lestrange before Voldimort arrived."

"Indeed. Do you know why the unforgivable's are labled what they are Mr. Potter?"

"No minister, I don't believe I do."

"They are labeled unforgivable for the simple fact that you must have such a raw passionate desire to inflict harm on a fellow human being that it becomes a single burning rage. A flame which consumes all other passions. Tell me, How effective was your curse?"

Harry closed his eyes and drew a deep breath before looking the minster straight in the eye and replying.

"It was enough to knock her off her feet, but she told me immediately afterword that righteous anger wasn't enough to power it properly. I haven't attempted to use it since."

Fudge looked skeptical

"I see. Do you have a witness to this by any chance? Someone who can prove or disprove your story?"

Harry shook his head

"No minister. Only myself, Belletrix, and Voldimort witnessed it."

As Harry said this there was a general murmuring from the assembled people. With a cold unearthly glee in his eye fudge stood up, but before he could speak another voice rose from behind him. Harry smiled in relief as Remus Lupin, flanked by Charley Weasley, and Mad eye Moody stood up.

"Why don't we simply administer vertiserum?"

Harry had expected to see rage build in the ministers eye, but was shocked when instead he saw triumph.

"The boy is to young. His system cannot handle the full dose and anything less can be broken by a powerful enough mind. As I have been informed that as Mr. potter is Highly resistant to the Imperius curse he qualifies."

"Minister? If I might question the captive?"

Fudge turned to stare as Dumbledore addressed him, he only smiled slightly however as he replied

"Albus, I've warned you once already that you are considered too close to the accused. You are found to be in contempt of court and fined 50 galleons, the court suspends your payment however if you manage to leave without attempting to interfere with this inquest again."

There was an odd look in Dumbledore's eyes, and his whole body tensed. For a moment Harry wondered if he was about to see a repeat of the scene in the headmasters tower when Umbridge was installed as headmistress, the moment passed however and Albus sank stiffly into his seat.

"Does anyone else wish to speak in accusation or defense of the accused?"

There were a number of wizards who shuffled in place, and one or two who even began to rise before changing their minds. It was then that Harry noticed Umbridge stand and hold out a piece of paper.

"Yes minister, I believe that I have another charge to be brought against our young miscreant."

The utter lack of surprise on Fudges face told Harry that this 'additional charge' was a planned move on the ministers side.

"The court recognizes madam Umbridge."

"It has come to my attention that the boy is in violation of the magical talents and abilities act of 1844."

Fudge looked smug as he replied

"would you care to clarify madam?"

"Yes minister, Harry Potter is an unregistered Parselmouth."

Harry was surprised at the dark muttering that broke out following the announcement.

_That's common knowledge isn't it? Everyone's known about that since my second year..._

"Harry Potter, you stand accused of contravening the accord of 1844, how do you plead?"

Harry frowned.

"Mr. Fudge, the fact that I'm a parselmouth has been..."

Fudge cut him off however

"A simple 'Guilty' or 'Not Guilty' will suffice."

Harry's frown deepened

"Guilty, But I was never told that I had to register my..."

"That will be quite enough Mr. Potter. The fact that you openly admit to not registering such a Dark ability speaks for it's self, and it certainly puts your other testimony's in different light."

"This court will re-convene in two weeks for the trial and sentencing, until then you will be kept in a ministry holding cell. Court is adjourned."

Despite Harry's protests his guards returned, and after petrifying him they released him from the chair and floated him out of the room

-----

Sighing Harry stared up at the ceiling, it had been a week and a half since the 'inquest', and he had been appointed a lawyer as his family's agent had died in the intervening time between his parent's death and his current incarceration. The man assigned had been fairly grim faced and had gotten the details he needed and left. It was therefore a bit of a shock when an auror stopped in front of his door, and the bars rose into the ceiling.

" You have a visitor Mr. Potter."

Harry quickly swung his legs down and stood up as Albus walked into the room.

"Headmaster!"

Albus sighed as he settled down into the makeshift chair provided by the guard.

"Hello Harry, I'm sorry that it's come to this, but any pull I have in the Wizengamut has been quite agilely blocked. Whatever comes of your trial you will have to pull off yourself. I've done what I can, but someone with better contacts than Fudge has been working hard behind the scenes. The best I've been able to do is give you a chance to tell your side of the story, and I'm afraid that it may not be enough."

Dumbledore sighed, pulled off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. Replacing the spectacles he held Harry's attention in strong stare.

"Tell me, Why did you use the Cracatus?"

Harry fidgeted, the headmasters stare was rather disturbing.

"She kept blocking my other spells, I was just so angry, I wanted her to Hurt like I was hurting... She had just killed Sirius by knocking him through the veil..."

Harry's eyes no longer focused on the room around him, his gaze looking at something beyond the room as he remembered

"Crouch had told us that it was completely unblock-able, he had incanted it in front of us as a demonstration you see, to show us it's affects."

Harry's voice trialed off, and Dumbledore allowed him to remember the string of events that had lead to his use of the unforgivable. After a moment, Harry shook his head sharply and returned his focus to the present and continued somewhat bitterly

"It's not like it was all that useful anyway, It hardly even slowed her down. And then of course Voldimort showed up and tried his possession bit on me after you dueled him."

Harry was still somewhat lost in thought, and so he missed the slight look of suprise that passed across the Albus's face.

"Professor, why didn't the possession work? What drove him away?"

Instead of answering Dumbledore stood and turned back to the door, tapping on it he waited for the guard to let him out, and just before he crossed the threshold he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Only you can answer that Harry."

and with that he was gone, leaving a bewildered Harry potter wondering and slightly depressed at his swift departure.

-----

At the end of the hall 'Dumbledore' took and immediate right and walked over to a Statue of a blindfolded women holding a sheathed sword in one hand and an open bag of galleons in the other. Without pausing he cast a tickling jinks on the statue and then twisted the suddenly free handle of the sword and then strode purposefully past the door that opened behind the statue and into the lift hidden behind it. Stretching out his hand he pressed a ring inset with a single onyx stone into a small nearly un-noticeable depression in the wall and Intoned 'Department of Mysteries'. There was a brief flash of light, and then the lift started it's decent into the deeper levels of the Minestry. 'Dumbledore' sighed, pulled a flask out of his coat pocket, and murmered

"The things I do for that boy."

before downing the foul tasting potion in one long pull. By the time the lift reached the correct floor the polyjuice potion had worn off completely. Dressed in a robe reminiscent of Dumbledore's (though shrunk to fit properly) a Much younger man stepped out of the lift and over to a nearby unmanned desk. Rifling quickly through the drawers he pulled out a block of amber. Setting it in the exact center of the desk he pressed his ring into it and intoned.

"Agent fifth class Percivel Weasley requesting admittance."

There was a slight waver in the air as Percy looked down the apparently unending hallway directly next to the lift. Quickly he replaced the block of amber in a different drawer than the one he had found it it and strode forward into the haze Vanishing before he had gone three paces.

-----


	2. Pureblood Games

Pureblood games:

A/N Prelude: Yes I realize that some of the Idea's I post here aren't half bad, if you want to adopt one, PM me and we'll talk about it.

~Manatheron~

* * *

Due to old wars there is a law in effect that once the population drops below a certain number all eligible women must be married by the age of 18 and have produced an heir by 21. The limit has been hit, and Harry, discovering the fact in an obscure book, brings it to the attention of Hermoine within the hearing of Prof. McGonnogal. This touches off the 'Pureblood Games' according to the law the wizards have proven themselves inept at all forms of decision making. All established families are now authorized to use whatever methods they deem necessary to capture the attentions of the people around them. It's a truly Darwinian free-for-ass as you have no say at all unless you can avoid being drugged, Jinxed, intoxicated, or straight out bludgeoned or seduced.

-updated-

-Slight wheel of time crossover, 5th age or so, only vague stories remain of the Dragon lord, but bits of the high tongue can still be found in old books.

Harry upon being named Sirius's heir gets a copy of the Black family Grimore which mentions 'Das Damaar' Unfortunately for him it also comes with a compulsion to formally declare the great game re-instated if he sees the wizarding world in sharp decline. The compulsion triggers, and the next morning at breakfast he stands up and walks to the front of the hall and stands there ignoring requests and demands from the teachers until the hall quiets realizing that something odd is going on. Upon gaining most of their attention, he quite formally states

* * *

"I am Harry, Lord of the Ancient and most chivalrous house of Potter. I declare Das Damaar Re-established., I am Harold, Lord of the ancient and most Noble house of Black, I formally declare Das Damaar Re-established."

Having said His piece the Geise released him, and Harry blinked for a moment before paling Dumbledore and most of the staff stared at his back in shock, therefore they hadn't had time yet to react when Susan Bones stood up.

"I am Susan, Lady of the Ancient and most courageous house of Bones. I Declare Das Damaar Re-established. I am Susan, Heir Apparent of the Ancient and most Humble house of Prewett. I declare Das Damaar re-established. By Ancient Oath I declare Minority reached. Who will stand for the Majority."

There was a feeling in the air then, As though a great weight had descended upon the room, here and there one or two people moved as though unaffected, but for the majority of the room, to move or speak seemed an impossible goal. Albus was one of the few who could still move, but he seemed shocked into silence, Minerva was struggling futilely against the oppressive magics that had been invoked, trying unsuccessfully to stop what Harry and Susan had started. It was somewhat of a surprise to Harry when a Slightly oriental looking girl stood at the Ravenclaw table.

"I am Su-Li, Heir Apparent of house Prince. House prince stands with house Potter." Snape's eyes could have burned solid rock "I declare Das-Daamar re-established"

Smirking, Draco caught Harry's eye, and with slow deliberateness began to stand. He didn't manage to complete the action however when another voice chimed in.

"I am Blaise, Lord of the ancient and most Persistent house of Zabini. House Zabini stands with house Bones. I declare Das-Damaar re-established. The Majority has been reached, So mote it be."

Draco was slammed back into place by the forces that held the rest of the room, his face quickly staining a furious red as he struggled to protest that he had stood first. The magic invoked didn't seem to care however as Blaise's body glowed for a moment, His now visible aura a deep earth tone Brown. Su-Li nodded and sighed a little. Before answering.

"So mote it be."

A second flash, Her's a brilliant sky blue. Susan smirked slightly at Harry. Before nodding to the two already oath bound.

"So mote it be."

She flashed twice, first a bright silver, and then a deep Navy Blue. Harry sighed, he could feel the magic pressing him to complete his part. He had no intention of starting this when he woke up this morning, but he had read enough to know there was no going back now. He bowed deeply to the silent room, and his reply was little more than a whisper, though everyone heard it quite clearly.

"It is done, The weave is set. So Mote it be."

Harry's aura flashed twice as well, first a brilliant gold, and then a Red so dark that it bordered on black. Every person in the hall watched in mute silence as the four students gathered up their belongings and walked to the door, their steps synchronizing as they reached it. Both boys bowed slightly to the girls who nodded in return, and drew their wands before stepping though the doors. The boy's shared a glance and drew theirs as well. Before they could step forward however a brilliant red light sped across the hall, Harry, his instincts honed by years at the Dursleys, ducked and stepped though the door. Blaise was only a second behind, and the second stunner dissipated it's self on the trailing edge of his robe just as he stepped though. Both spells had been launched in less than three seconds, and it was all that was needed to ignite chaos in the hall.

-----

Blaise had hardly stepped though the door when he flung himself to the side, narrowly dodging a second blast of red, this one from in front of him. Susan had an impish grin as she kept him covered.

"Now's as good a time as any"

The red of her next stunner was intercepted by a shield from a nearby suit of armor summoned by Harry, and Blaise took advantage of it by immediately rolling to his feet and launching a counter attack. Harry was in no position to help him however as Su-Li was flinging hex's and jinx at him with frightening speed, no few caught him, but then he was giving as good as he got. It was a hectic couple of minutes for the four of them, the girls, thinking they had the upper hand hadn't expected either of the boys to recover so quickly, and both sides were hard pressed, the sounds of their fight mingling with the sounds of spell fire from within in the hall. and then they stopped, both sides eyed the other edgily. The hall behind them eerily quiet again. Muttering Harry tried to cast a shield, but much like the stunner he had tried seconds before, all he got was sparks.

Su-Li smiled and pocketed her wand, as did Susan a moment later.

"Dumbledore must have enforced a spelless zone around the dining hall"

Susan commented idly.

"Pity" Said Su-Li " I think I nearly had mine for a minute."

Susan nodded, and Harry and Blaise shared a look before they also holstered their wands.

"Pax?" asked Susan

the other three were quiet for a moment before Blaise spoke up.

"One week ceasefire, just us four. That should be long enough to weed out the weaker players."

Su-Li nodded and turned a mysterious smile toward Harry.

"Don't get caught before then, it'd be a shame if I had misjudged you."

she turned back to Blaise.

"Agreed. Pax."

The other three echo'd her.

"Pax."

with that the two girls turned and walked away.

"I don't know about you"

Said Blaise suddenly,

"But I'm getting the hell out of here before the rest of that lot comes piling out those doors."

Harry nodded amicably

"Agreed. Good luck."

Blaise returned the gesture before hurrying off leaving Harry to contemplate what had turned out to be one of his few friendly exchanges with a member of Slythern. It was this pause that meant Harry was the only person to see exactly what happened next. The door to the great hall opened, and an angry Dumbledore came striding though, his magic distorting the air around him as he bore down on the only remaining instigator of the mess that was now his school. His eyes seemed to flash and flicker with power as though there was truly a storm behind those usually placid eyes.

It occurred to Harry about then that he really should have fled when he had the chance, but what happened next would bring a smile to his face to his dying day, all that rage and power vanished into a look of shock as he was hit from behind with a stunner. Harry, mouth agape watched as Madam Pomfrey stepped out from behind a the very knight who's shield had saved Blaise. Winking at Harry the nurse levitated Dumbledore and walked away humming happily, Albus trailing behind her sedate pace.

Shaking his head, Harry hurried to leave before the rest of the class came to their senses.

---Inside the great hall, immediately after the departure of the four instigators---

Chaos, a simple word for a complex action, but that was precisely the state of the great hall as the doors closed. A handful of the better read pure bloods and half bloods, Neville among them immediately cast shields and dove for the floor, Draco, looking like Christmas had come early quickly stunned Daphene Greengrass and Tracy Davis, only to be felled a second later by Marriette Edgecomb, most of the muggle born sat in shock as those who had grown up in the wizarding world seemed to suddenly lose their minds, attacking and subduing each other with reckless abandon. It was into this mess that Dumbledore finally re-awoke. He watched dispassionately for nearly a minute before sighing. Standing up he pulled his wand and for the first time since Grindwald completely loosed his magic. Twirling in a tight circle he cast, and across the entire hall students and teachers alike fell stunned. In one bold stroke he had stopped the fight and negated any claims his impetuous students may have tried to make. It was hard to claim a person upon awaking from being stunned after all.

Shaking his head he walked to the middle of the room. He couldn't stop this mess, not until he could get Harry,Susan, Blaise, and Su-Li to declare it ended, but he could mitigate it at least. Stopping in the exact center of the room, he knelt and placed his wand tip to the floor.

"I invoke the nulling. Das Damaar has been declared and all area's that can be nulled are now non responsive to students."

there was a brief flare along the wards, and he could feel the rooms that were now blocked. It was a pitiful list. The house dorms, the great hall, and the few classrooms still in active use. He had stopped the great game from being played in perhaps a tenth of the school all told, and even then all he could do was prevent spells. Potions, enchanted objects, rune stones, the list of things that would still work fine in those area's was staggering. Angry both at himself and at his student's he stalked from the great hall. Immediately upon leaving he came upon a rather distracted looking Harry. Fully intent on giving the boy a piece of his mind he missed the feeling of the stunner that took him in the back until just before it connected giving him barely enough time for the shock to register on his face before the world went dark.

-----

Neville looked up tentatively from behind the bench where he had been sheltering. As he felt Dumbledore's magic fade, around the hall he could see a scant handful of other students doing the same. He didn't know exactly what the headmaster had done, but he knew what a nulling was supposed to do. Hopefully he gave his wand a swish, trying to re-erect his shield, all he got for his efforts was some silver sparks. Shaking his head in disgust he holstered his wand and climbed to his feet. surveying the hall. Keeping a weather eye on the others who escaped as well, He immediately started waking those around him. Shaking shoulders and murmuring a quiet word or two before moving on.

_I don't know what's gotten into you Harry, but this is going to be one hell of a ride_

-----

A/N Post Script:

The great game I've created is a warping from the WoT version. It's true purpose was lost over the years, and a new system implemented. Basically it's a 'keep what you Catch system' now, and your freedom is at stake since being caught is tantamount to being a slave until you're released by the person who caught you, or the one who caught them. Fortunes and titles change hands hourly as the game ebbs and flows. Families ransoming their heirs can lead to vast fortunes changing hands, duels can be fought with captured people as the stakes, and anyone able to catch an active head of house can raise any family they want one tier in magical society. (Ancient, Elder, Established, recognized, and founded ( in order of the hierarchy) ) so controlling them can dramatically change the political landscape of society, especially as the 'Ancient' families had all but vanished.

Note's on how I envisioned the new game to work and effect the world:

New houses require either Ten other non housed people's recognition to be valid, or recognition from an existing house, they must be declared publicly, (Specifically either the great hall, or the steps of Gringotts, both of which are neutral zones) and they come with a vote on the (soon to be greatly expanded) wizengamut. Captured heads of house are usually ordered to fold their votes to the house that captured them, and the house it's self is dissolved into the family that claimed them. Deals can of course be brokered with houses more powerful than your own for protection.

The interior of businesses can be declared neutral ground and their safety maintained by ward stones on the doorways.

The Gringott's goblins find the whole thing amusing and are are selling the stones only to known businesses as they're now under giese to keep them away from personal residences. The goblins actively break the ward when they find it anywhere else, and are roaming the wizarding world for the first time in nearly five decades to do just that finding it absolutely hilarious to watch the wizards scramble to protect themselves.

-The invocation used binds any recognized magical families into the game as well as anyone who declares themselves head of a new family as soon as they declare it. The rules are simple, Keep what you catch.

-There are restrictions in place to keep anyone who is 'houseless' from getting captured so the muggle born are safe until they (rather stupidly) declare themselves founders of a new house.

_-_As soon as word got out about what had happened in Hogwarts all of the established pure blood families, and an large number of mixed heritage families immediately retreated into their ancestral homes and activated any and all possible defenses.

-Old family lines (like the gaunts) can be claimed in a variety of ways including conquest, blood, proxy, and duty.

-Luna Keeps trying to ambush Harry, Out of all the people trying to do so, only Su-Li and Susan come as close-

-Hermoine is the first muggleborn to declare herself the first of a founded family, and is nearly caught a couple of times for her trouble, but many of the muggle-born think it's a great Idea and do the same without realizing the implications of what they did.


	3. Endline Curse

Harry Smiled, He was Bloody, Bruised, and Burned, But he was not Beaten. In fact, His job was finally done.

"I'm sorry Tom, But you just can't be left to run around anymore."

Tom Riddle AKA Voldimort glared up at the young man. And sneered.

"You may have beaten me Potter, But I won't be the last, Just as I wasn't the first."

"Well, If that's all you have to say, then I guess it's…"

"I've seen it you know."

Harry paused, tuning out the sounds of the Burning building in the background.

"What?"

"Your Future you pathetic Fool, I've seen what will happen to the 'Great Harry Potter'."

"I don't believe in that clap-trap Tom."

"We are Mages Potter, You and I, Opposites even as Merlin and Morgana were. Do you know what Potter? I think I'll do to you what she did to him"

Harry on the other hand said nothing else, but began his incantation. Almost Immediately Voldimort's Body began thrashing, the Dark rituals fighting against the Spirit Banishing charm. His eyes however seemed almost detached, as though his mind were no longer connected to his body. This went on for a minute or two, and harry was nearly completed, He had already begun the final flick to exorcize tom's spirit when voldimort spoke again, His voice taking on a Hollow ringing quality.

"**I curse you."**

Instantly everything froze, Harry was shocked as his magic suddenly refused to co-operate with him, and his limbs Dis-obeyed his command to move. Ghostly, almost wraith-like a spirit rose from the body of the fallen Dark lord. Harry trembled with effort, trying to move, but the spirit was somehow holding him in place.

**"I Tom Marvolo Riddle Place a curse upon You, Harry James Potter, I invoke the Endline curse as I am truly the last of my blood, so may the magic hear it an obey."**

Harry was shocked

_What is he doing? How is he doing it?_

"What are you doing?"

Tom's spirit however only gave him an evil smirk and continued

**"May you wander the earth, Never aging, Unable to Die by your own hand. May you enjoy perpetual Luck, Escaping situations that would kill a lesser man. May your fame follow you drawing the eyes of anyone you meet. The Curse of three is upon you Mr. Potter, And now I can go to my rest knowing that you will NEVER be able to join me."**

And suddenly everything flowed again, Unable to stop, Harry finished the flick of his wand, and with a distant wailing sound Lord Voldimort was no more. For a moment harry stood, staring at the hollow body lying in front of him, eyes not really seeing, wondering if Voldimort had really managed what he claimed. It was nearly ten minutes later when he heard the tell-tale sounds of apperation.

* * *

Charlie was ready, his team had been training for this mission for months now, and with the odd collapse of the Death-eaters He and his team had been given the go-ahead. Immediately they all apperated into position, and he instantly began barking orders.

"Alright, Spread out and find them, all the rest have collapsed, but this is were evidence suggests that their leader is. I don't think I need to tell you all that…"

"SIR!"

The Auror caption turned to the sub-ordinate who had been trying to get his attention for the last few minutes

"What Tompson!?!"

The young man swallowed loudly.

"Um… I think we're to late sir."

"What? Explain!"

* * *

Harry distantly noted the auror jerking a thumb in his direction and the captin giving a surprised jerk when he realized that there was a person standing thirty feet away. After that the images seemed to blur together. Even with the use of a pensive harry would never be able to remember more than a few fragments of what happened in the next few minutes.

"… arry Pott…."

"…limy! It's You-know-w…"

"… Catch him! He's collaps…"

"… it easy Mr. Pott…"

The only thing that would ever come in clearly was the face of Madam pomfrey as she tucked him into a bed at hogwarts.

"You need to drink this Harry. It's a sleeping Draught. When you wake the headmaster will need a few words."

With that comforting sentence, and a dose of Dreamless sleep potion, harry knew no more.

-------------

A/N: The plot as I'd continue it:

Harry Killed Voldimort with a ancient ritual when he caught him unaware a few days before school let out in his sixth year.

When he comes around he tells Dumbledore not to expect him to attend the next year.

Ollivander sees him in Diagon over the summer, Harry is initally annoyed when a man looking to be in his mid-thirties walks over and Buys him a drink at the cauldron. Only to be shocked when he briefly flickers into the visage of Olivander

Ollivander turns out to be Merlin, Cursed with nearly the same curse as harry. Ageless and Unable to kill himself. Explains the End of line curse, Also known as the curse of three.

The Curse consists of a Curse a Boon, and a Constant. Anything else will cause it to fail. These three things are locked into a person by the very nature of magic

Harry is depressed. Spends a week or two in the cauldron. Figures out how to become a magical animagus, and while cruising the alley in his form is picked up and sold as a pet.

Mostly he avoids his old friends, he'd burnt the Maruaders map in a fit of outrage after Sirius' death. Dumbledore knows he's in the castle but can't pinpoint where.

Mostly this is a standard 'Someone is up to something dangerous, and Harry has to stop them. Could end one of three ways if I write it. Harry manages to die doing something stupidly heroic, probably saving his 'Master' from some horrible ritual that the remaining death eaters are trying to preform to bring back Voldimort, Two, He only almost dies, and I do a flash forward through a number more times he manages to survive when he shouldn't ending the story either with him and four or five other 'Immortals' leaving the dieing planet, or the group of them watching the sun burn out, or Three. The remaining Death Eaters succeed in said ritual (Killing Harry's 'Master' in the process) Which breaks the curse on him, and Harry finishes Voldimort and his followers off just in time to to get accidentally killed by someone who should have been friendly. Probably Neville or Ron.

No, I wouldn't write a happy ending for this one, it's supposed to be a dark story.


	4. Pottery

Just a string of mostly contained Short fragments of story's that refused to leave me alone until I typed them up.

* * *

I'll get you for this potter! You and that Whore too!"

determined to keep his word, Harry grit his teeth and tried to look as disinterested in the little worm as Daphene did. Therefore it came as a complete shock both to him and the people around him when Crabbe blinked a couple of times, cocked back a fist, and fractured Draco's jaw with a straight arm punch.

"You can insult potter, the mudbloods, and the blood traitors all you want Malfoy, but Greengrass is under my protection."

Draco, spit a wad of blood, ignoring the pain from his jaw for a moment.

"You... You BASTARD! You owe me! Your family Owes mine!"

Crabbe snorted.

"Owed. I say we're even. Have been since I took that cursing for you back in first year when you insulted the fourth year half blood. Our Da's are square too, mine only joined the dark lord cause yours called in the debt."

Draco's chewed the inside of one cheek for a minute as he glared, and then spit another wad of blood, sneered, and stalked off with goyle in tow. After a minute harry smirked.

"Thank..."

He didn't get any farther before Crabbe's second swing loosened a few of his teeth and bloodied both his lips.

"And that potter, is a warning. I don't like you any more than I like him. I don't like either side of this fight and this time my family intends to stay out of it, but I warn you, neutral or no, you hurt her or drag her family into this mess, and I will personally hunt you down. Are we clear?"

Harry gingerly touched his bleeding lips, his eyes glittering with an anger he quickly suppressed.

"We're clear. You stay away from me, I'll stay away from you."

Crabbe grunted and turned to Daphene.

"I still owe you."

Daphene tilted her head slightly to one side.

"I already told you I refuse to acknowledge a debt. We're even."

"And that's why I still owe you."

without another word he turned and walked away. Harry stared at his retreating back and fingered his wand for a couple seconds before deciding that watching him deck Draco was worth a matching bruise. Daphene watched him go for a minute and then glanced down at her boyfriend.

"Men. Why can't you make sense."

Harry shook his head and then climbed to his feet.

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

Daphene gave him a small smile at that and gently traced his swelling lips.

"What did I tell you, trouble magnet."

Harry touched his lips again. Grimacing at the fresh blood that came away.

"So I've noticed."

* * *

-New Short-

Harry, curious about Veela after the Quidditch world cup looks them up.

Veela, The inside Perspective (Excerpt): The curious thing about Veela, Outside of their unnatural good looks and shapeshifter disposition, is that they are very much a social creature. Veela, when they choose to mate, Generally do so as a group. Those few that have been willing to be interviewed had this to say. 'We find the very few men can meet the standards we set for a husband, so few in fact that on the rare occasion we find one it makes much more sense for us to share him then to infight over who gets the first shot at him. Of course this is all the harder for us, because generally that type of man does not immediately jump at the Idea of so many of us. He is a one woman man, and it usually takes quite a while to convince him we are willing to share.' When pressed furthor about this Idea, she admitted that like any women veela vary from one to another how many of their sisters they are willing to share with. 'Some will share freely with any who ask, some will not share at all. It is just the nature of our species I suppose.' When asked how to best approach a veela you are interested in however the young lady laughed at me and told me If I were the type I wouldn't have to ask. A furthor in depth study indicates that... Harry didn't bother readying the rest of the chapter, just skimming it to see if anything caught his eye, but outside of the fact that there was only one known Veela enclave world wide, nothing really stood out to him. Shrugging his shut the book with a snap.

~Later that chapter~

Gabby is caught by three men who recognize what she is and start arguing about who's going to claim the 'veela bed warmer' harry stumbles on the situation and says she's already his. Orders a drink for the three disappointed (and speculating) men and then orders her out. As soon as the drinks are delivered he follows her, and the moment they're out the door...

~Continues~

"Lucky for you I was wandering by Gabby, try to be more careful next time. I might not be around to save you."

Noticing her vacant look and seeing a slight tremor run through her body he took half a step closer.

"Gabby?"

"Stop. D..Don't come any closer."

Harry froze.

"Do you have A...any Idea what just happened?"

"Sure, a couple of guys cornered you and I got you out of there."

"YOU STUPID, IGNORANT..."

Gabby took several deep breaths to calm herself.

"Tell me Very quickly what you know of the veela bond."

Confused harry replied.

"it's left over from the early years of your race. You wouldn't bond with anyone unless they could catch you. It's where the story of Artimis comes from. Once the bond is formed there is some kind of rite that you and your bonded preform, and thereafter the two of you are magically linked."

"c...close, but not wholly accurate. Once we are caught we are are biologically forced to be claimed. Our bodies won't stand for anything less. This is twice you've caught me harry potter, the first time you didn't know and I was young enough to fight it off, but now. Now I am a women, A mature Veela, and they caught me. But so did you. And O...One way or another I W...will be one of the bonded tomarrow. T...tell me Harry Potter, Will you claim me?"

Harry, shocked, took a step back.

"I?... You?...What?"

"It'ssss either you or one of them. I'm sorry, but you must choose quickly, I can't stop myself m... much L...longer."

Still deeply shocked harry looked into her eyes, trying to find any hint of deceit. The Pure unbridled Lust in them shocked him almost as much as her speech did, he could see her fighting tooth and nail to give him a little more time to decide. He absently noticed the half step forward before she caught herself, noted the hands clenched tight in her skirt as she held her self back, Noticed that a silvery Aura was starting to gather on her skin, as her magic and body fought her sheer stubborn will power. Yet all of that was secondary, as she strained he could see the link between them, and it tugged on him. It pulled at his soul as he realized with a start that he didn't care about what tomorrow would bring, He didn't care about what his friends or family would say, all he cared about was the fact that she needed him. Needed a knight to save her, And reflected in her eyes was the soul deep ache he himself felt for someone to take care of him, to love him. Someone he could care for and love in return.

* * *

-New Short-

-Warning, Contains Adult Situations-

Harry stopped just outside her door and took a deep breath, he still couldn't believe that Hermoine and her parents had offered to let him stay for the rest of the summer, it was like a dream come true

_I should thank her… I need to apologize too, if I had listened to her she wouldn't have been hurt._

Swallowing Harry took a moment to gather his courage and then knocked on her door. There was a moment pause before a muffled voice on the other side called out 'Come in, It's Open!' Harry opened the door, a greeting on his lips, and froze in shock.

"Oh Hello, Tell me something, do you think I need to lose some weight?"

Harry could feel his brain overheating and leaking out his ears, There was Hermoine Granger, One of his best friends, standing naked in front of a mirror

"See if I turn like this…"

She did a slow turn to the left so that her hind end was facing him though her head stayed fixated on the mirror, apparently checking out how her muscles moved as she bent over slightly.

"I look fine, But if I turn like this…"

Here she swung around sharply so that her body faced Harry, her breasts bouncing slightly as the momentum swung them past a little bit. She frowned without speaking for a moment before continuing as though talking to herself.

"It's almost like I lose some of the breast accent to my fuzz, Maybe I should shave it all off."

Almost against his will Harry followed her gaze down to the triangle of neatly trimmed hair between her legs. For a moment he wondered exactly how she managed to get it to hint at everything without actually showing anything, but his mind apparently decided to kick it at that moment

_GREAT MERLIN! _

Swallowing convulsively Harry dropped his eyes to the floor and began backing toward the door again.

"I Th… think that I had better leave."

Groping behind himself for the doorknob Harry's had closed on something warm and soft. For a moment he kept groping it until he suddenly realized exactly what he was groping and whirled around to stare in shock at…

"H… Hermoine?"

There stood Hermoine Granger covered in only a thin towel. If the dampness of her hair was any indication she had just gotten out of the shower.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

Harry's gaze dropped to her chest for a moment where the towel was still damp and had become slightly translucent. He jerked his eyes up to her rather amused expression and then turned around again to see the Hermoine in front of the mirror grinning at him still as naked as the day she was born. Harry's head jerked from one amused female to the other several times in rapid succession before he finally noticed that the towel around hermoine2 was rumpled and had fallen partly uncovering a single bare breast. A breast which he suddenly realize, he had just been groping. Harry cocked his head to one side for a moment. Staring rather bluntly at it as though confused. Then looked up and cocked an eyebrow at her amused grin.

"yes?"

She asked. Harry said nothing for another minute, just staring her in the eye as though puzzled. After fifteen or twenty seconds he shrugged, stepped forward, and to Hermoine's immense shock and her sister's open amusement, he Kissed her. Capitol K on the kiss. It was a toe-curling, ass groping, no-holds-barred, leaves you weak in the knees, and panting for your breath Kiss. When he was done, Hermoine was left panting and holding the door frame to stay up. Harry, though breathing hard, still said nothing, and swept past her with a little smile on his face. Helen on the other hand was now openly laughing.

"Well, I'd say that little stunt backfired pretty spectacularly Eh Hermoine?"

Hermoine was still having a hard time catching her breath, and was still standing in the doorway now looking thoroughly debauched. As such she was the only one to hear harry mutter about having 'that daydream again' just before her fathers voice cut in asking if his room was alright.

"Merlin can that boy kiss."

And Helen just kept laughing.

* * *

-New Short-

There was no time to move, no time to think. Harry could do nothing but stare in shock as Tom's curse, the beautiful, deadly, green flare, sped across the room toward him. Then suddenly Ginny was there. Harry had just enough enough time to register the faintly amused look on her face before she went slack and collapsed against him. Harry closed his eyes. Barely a second passed, though it seemed a short eternity before he pushed the corpse off. He didn't have time to mourn, and Ginny had obviously made her choice. They were even again.

"How droll, The great hero, the gilded savior, able to shrug off the death of one so close to him without pause?"

Harry hadn't waited to hear the taunts He had started cursing even before Ginny's corpse hit the floor. Tom however agilely countered or blocked every curse, Every hex. It didn't matter how fast Harry spoke, how quickly or perfectly his wand motions flowed together, how much power he tried to force into and through his wand Tom always seemed to be just one step ahead of him. It seemed he had only to think the counter, to twitch his wand, and the best Harry could throw at him just fell apart.

"Don't think I don't know about you two. Young Malfoy has kept me adequately updated on you, on your loved ones. What was she to you Potter? Lover? Whore? Friend? Or just another person you could throw at me in a futile attempt to slow the inevitable?"

Harry's attack redoubled in intensity, he hadn't thought it possible to move faster than he had been, but the rage he felt at Tom's casual dismissal of him, of his friends, of the bonds he held most dear... He didn't think, didn't slow, didn't hesitate, Deep in the recesses of his mind a voice cried out, warned him that he was doing exactly what the dark lord wanted, but for the first time, he honestly didn't care.

"Is this the 'power he knows not' harry? Is this your 'love'?"

Harry froze. Of all the things he had expected Tom to say, that phrase hadn't even made the list.

"You think I don't understand love? You think Dumbledore truly thought that one under aged wizard had a chance to defeat me? Especially one as mediocre as you? No, he knew the truth. You have no hope of matching me, so he threw you into harms way again and again."

Harry's eyes started glazing over, he could hear every word Tom said, each word, each phrase seemed to echo in his ears.

"Your friends? Please. The Weasley's had no way to pay for their last two to receive schooling, it was an open joke among the pure bloods, yet somehow they had the funds to put them through? Molly, as big a joke as she is, forgetting the platform where she had seen a child off yearly since before you were born? A platform that's been used since the the late nineteenth century? They were bought."

Harry's eyesight started to blacken, While harry had frozen Voldimort had started working a rather insidious bit of magic that slowly petrified the lungs. Harry wouldn't have cared if he had known. It made so much sense, How could he have missed it? The stone, the Book, The tournament... It was just So. Bloody. Obvious!

"Face it harry. You've been played. And now. Now you die, as you were always meant to."

Voldimort's smile was wide and terrible.

"Avada..."

Snarling he disapperated just in time to avoid the chunk of some that had been banished at him.

"Damn it Harry! Wake up!"

_Hermoine's voice_

The thought seemed to drift though his mind without disturbing him, the lack of oxygen was really starting to get to him, and he noticed absently that he had collapsed to his knees, his wand falling from limp fingers.

Distantly he noted the cutting curse Tom sent at him, intercepted at the last moment by a wall the seemed to flow out of the floor.

"Harry? Harry! Snap out of it!"

And then Remus was in front of him, even as the wall shuddered under the impact of a pair of blasting curses. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears now, feel his Magic pulsing with every ponderous beat. Remus it seemed had realized what was happening, as he was trying to counter spell. Pity his attention was diverted. Almost casually Tom strolled around the wall deflecting a quad of spells with the same ease he had blocked Harry's attack earlier. Without pausing he launched a piercing curse at the werewolf. Remus never stood a chance as it caught him in the back. Had he not been a were, the curse would probably have punched straight through both him and harry. As it was however, the old wolf took the full impact of the curse which lifted him off his feet and flung him twenty feet down the hallway.

Voldimort was speaking again, but Harry's attention was elsewhere, with morbid fascination he followed the flight of five specks of Remus' blood, dark in the blue-white moon and snowlight.

And suddenly Harry got mad, something deep inside, some small part of him he had carefully hidden away finally snapped the chains he had bound it with, and then... then he went beyond fury, Something sang within him, a song of Fire, Fury, and unbridled Rage. Without thought, without reason, harry called to the song, Merged with it, binding its power to his own, entwining them, Making them one. Suddenly he shifted, cold Blue light poured off of him in waves, he could feel the power tearing his body apart, shredding it into nothing, atom by atom.

He didn't care.

He was above the power! Beyond the power! He rode it like a wave; shifting it, containing it, Compressing it. Allowing his instincts to form his body into a new shape, A stronger shape, the true shape of his soul! When the light cleared where once had stood a man now stood an Olympian, a child of perfection. Years of neglect and abuse stripped away. Dark hair shifting in the non-existent breeze, green eyes glowing he surveyed his foe. Without thought or effort he shifted again, his form condensing a second time, The Animal within coming forward, for the first time unfettered.

The Dragon he changed to was small, perhaps only the leangth of a man's forearm, but he was fast, and he was vicious.

Voldimort, for the first time had to exert himself as he rolled away from the bronze missle that darted past were his neck had been at a respectable fraction of the speed of sound. Harry Hovered, and hissed as Tom completed the roll. The Shield he'd broken had stung a little, and he was vaugly annoyed that Tom had still had time to dodge. Voldimort Narrowed his eyes.

"How?"

Harry didn't respond, instead he cocked his head back and breathed a four foot cone of Black flame.

The flame freezing spell was so overcharged that it actually crystallized the dragon fire. It stopped it a respectable three feet away, but it certainly didn't stop it cold. Voldimort hadn't wanted to risk an unknown attack, and had countered as quickly as he could, even at three feet he could still feel the heat being given off by the flame shards, and they were quickly melting the snow that they'd fallen through.

"This then? This is your power?"

It was the last question he'd ever ask. In his shock, Tom had waited for a renewed frontal assault, The razor edged tail that slit his throat came as a complete suprise. It probably wouldn't have stopped him, but the immediate corroding of the flesh on his wand hand were the little bastard bit him severely hindered his ability to heal.

The dragon turned it's head and looked him in the eye, and somehow Voldimort knew. Knew on a level he thought long since removed, that he was mortal, and that he was dying.

As harry stared at his hated foe, he was somewhat surprised to suddenly hear a huffing sound. For a moment he thought the bastard was trying to breath and was choking on his own blood, but after a second the truth was obvious, The old bastard was laughing at him! Harry watched unblinking as the corrosive venom of his bite spread from the hand, and quickly reached the heart. He remained unblinking even as the body he was still attached to spasmed and jerked, and then finally, at long last, expired for the final time.

* * *

-New Short-

"Oh relax! It was a simple prank, nothing to draw wands over, we do stuff like that to each other all the time."

"Then kindly keep it to yourselves, or we'll retaliate!"

Sitting next to George harry couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter at this. Ron it appeared was eavesdropping as well, and he replied

"Oh Please, A Slytherin couldn't play a harmless prank if their lives depended on it."

Around them many of the boys threw their head backward in laughter, and so it was that Harry was the only person who saw the spark of mischief in Daphene's eye. Before she whirled around commenting casually as she did

"Remember you said that."

The counterattack came only a few short hours later. Harry had just sat down, as usual fighting Ron for elbow room and food access, His glass had been stolen, so he had countered by grabbing ron's goblet of pumpkin juice and knocked the whole thing back in one long swallow. The immediate tingle of magic had been unmistakable, and the room went silent.

Harry looked around at his stunned housemates, and then down at his silver robes, slowly he reached up, noticing the purple Tattoo's that now adorned his arms, and pulled down a lock of his now green hair

_Guess I shouldn't have stolen Ron's glass._

Harry couldn't help it, Hanging his head he tried not to let it show, but he couldn't stop it. He snickered, and after a moment broke out into a full Laugh, one of the few since the start of school. There was only a few seconds pause before everyone around him erupted in laughter as well. It took a minute or so, but Harry finally got himself back under control. Still snickering he glanced across to the Slytherin table and caught the eye of a mortified looking Daphene. Quirking an eyebrow brought a slight blush to her face, So he raised his glass in a silent salute and took a sip of the now clear water before winking at her and then turning back to the renewed conversations around him.

* * *

A/N: Happy Turkey Day America!

~Manatheron


	5. Power He Knows

Albus couldn't help but stare at the boy with sadness, Harry's face was a mass of blood, and several bite marks were prominent on his arms from when he'd thrown up his arms in a futile attempt to defend himself.

_He had been doing so well too. If I find out who let Fenrir in..._

He didn't have time for recrimination now however.

"Damn it, It's been too long since he was bit. We don't have time to finish the circle"

Poppy Frowned but didn't stop her rapid and exact sketching.

"I'm going as fast as I can Albus, but it takes time"

"Which we don't have... forgive me Harry. Minerva, Severus, I need to ask a great favor."

"What is it Albus."

Albus looked old, all of his 160 years and then some...

"Help me save him. "

Minerva didn't hesitate.

"Of course"

"It might kill you"

Minerva frowned.

"I'll still do it."

Albus opened his mouth to thank her, but Sevrus spoke up

"Why should I? Why should I risk my life for the spawn of..."

"Lilly Evans."

Snape's mouth snapped shut his face going a deathly white.

"If you don't, Lilly Evan's son will be either dead or turned to a werewolf."

Severus recoiled as if struck and he gaped for a moment before his face became a blank mask.

"Fine. fine... "

And for the first time since he laid eyes on the boy his expression softened the slightest amount

"...For Lilly's sacrifice I will."

Albus nodded solemnly, searching eyes having seen what they needed to. It was then that the gaping Poppy regained he voice

"Wait just a moment! What do you think your about to..."

Albus didn't bother to respond to her. His eyes locked with Snape's.

"Good enough."

Albus turned his wand to Harry. The edge in his eyes softening as he incanted

"Diligo animus Servo. Tribuo nos Beneficium trios."

Minerva stiffened as Albus' knowledge of the gift of three flowed into her mind. For Snape only the slight widening of his eyes betrayed his shock. Albus however didn't hesitate.

"For defense against the foe I offer my knowledge, Inflecto."

Minerva, her voice shaking slightly at the full knowledge of what was about to happen continued

"To take from your foe only what you will, I offer my skill. Inflecto."

Snape's eyes were like chips of flint, but he didn't hesitate

"To control the forces you cannot understand I offer my judgment. Inflecto."

Poppy stared in horror at the four of them as Harry's eyes snapped open and he half rose from the bed. His eyes were blood Red, and from his lips poured parseltongue

_-This body is mine! Mine!-_

Suddenly his face contorted and between blinks his eyes had changed to a reflective amber. The voice that issued forth was raspy and seemed to carry a growl as an echoing undertone as he replied to himself

**-{No. Mine.}-**

And like a switch flipping all four people collapsed.

-

Inside his head Harry was waging a battle. Voldimort's soul fragment, the leach he had been carrying in the back of his mind for years recognized the weakening of the boy and had instinctively lashed out, trying to wrest control of the body away from the waking mind. The wolf demon, inherent in the werewolf curse fought back it's insidious nature trying to corrupt the soul fragment and the waking mind as it tore rents in the two. Harry was slowly losing ground as the two fought for supremacy in the shattering mind scape, bilious green and corrupted purples flowed back and forth in a wave of power that, try as he might, Harry could do nothing to stem. it had been hours since the werewolf's bite, and while the other two were still going strong, Harry himself was growing fatigued. With each new gash in the landscape, it became a little harder to focus, and he lost just a little more ground to the invaders. He was almost on the verge of collapse when he heard Dumbledore's voice as though the headmaster was whispering in his ear.  
**_  
Try as much as possible to be wholly alive..._**

the voice picked up speed and pitch as it continued, as though someone had pressed fast forward on a recording, but it didn't matter, he suddenly Knew. It was lost cause. Even as the formerly crumbling mind scape stabilized under his feet he mentally understood. Even as he shored up his defenses he realized without a doubt that he couldn't win as he was. Both invaders seemed to realize something had changed as both went berserk, attacking each other and him with relentless abandon. Harry could tell his defenses were crumbling but he refused to go down without a fight, and as the last of them fell, he went on a full offensive. It was he knew a fools hope that he could beat them, but he resolved that he would fight to the bitter end. It was then that a wind seemed to pick up behind him. Mcgonnagal's voice seemed to whisper in his ear much as Dumbledore's had.  
**_  
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear..._**

As though a fog had been blown away or a light turned on he could suddenly See and understand his foes, The intricate web of purple runes laid down by the werewolf's curse, the infectious green of the soul fragment, he could see where they anchored, could tell how they effected him and how to remove them. And suddenly he was on level ground again, destroying their stability as rapidly as they removed his own, it was finally a fair fight, one that was only gaining in intensity as all three combatants built and destroyed at the speed of thought. He was tiring. So where they, but he had been fighting a losing battle for too long before help had arrived what he needed was an edge something that he could use to turn the tides decisively in his own favor. It was almost a shock to hear the final voice as snape's even baritone spoke as though he were hovering overhead.**__**

The man who masters his own soul...

Harry distantly realized that he was, for lack of a better phrase, borrowing fragments from the minds and living souls of the other three. It was a distant knowledge though. As he realized it he came also to the conclusion that he would never again be wholly what he once was. It didn't matter though, nothing ever stayed the same, and with that realization Harry's mind and magic snapped out much as it had when destroying the anchor points. Instead of breaking their hold however, he isolated one. Carefully, Carefully, he absorbed a fraction of the were-curse's power, and a little strength returned to him. Acting quickly he stole the soul fragment's language, and a little more returned. Working swiftly but with great care harry began stealing the best parts of the other two and shredding the rest, and when he was done, only he remained. His mental landscape was shredded, and he was more tired than he had ever been in his life, but his mind was his own again.

For a moment he felt the terrible urge to continue. Just at the edges of his perception he could feel the mindscapes of the other three. They had willingly let him in, and with that permission they were defenseless. He had the full knowledge and skill of three of the greatest minds of the previous generation laid open before him, and for a moment he hesitated. Then, suddenly, he realized exactly what he was contemplating, and he let go. A less honest man would have done it. Would have taken all he could reach. A weaker willed wouldn't have survived in the first place, and one with less skill could have destroyed all four of them by trying to sever the ties linking them. Thankfully, Harry was one of the few. His new knowledge helping as he wearily untied the thin threads that bound them to him and simply... let go.

Back in the infirmary poppy was reacting as quickly as she could to the collapsing staff when Harry's eyes snapped open again, the familiar emerald freezing her in place with their intensity. Harry's voice was soft however as he replied.

"No. My mind is my own."

With that he slipped into a sleep that would last nearly twenty hours as his subconscious mind strove to repair the damage and integrate the changes of the very new Harry Potter.

-

-  
A/N:

Albus' Quote: Try as much as possible to be wholly alive. Strive to be with all your might; And when you laugh, laugh like hell, and when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.  
-William Saroyan

Minerva's quote: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.  
- Sun Tzu

Severus' Quote:  
The man who masters his own soul will forever be called conqueror of conquerors.  
- Plautus

Phrase translated for Albus' Incantation:  
For the protection (servo) of a loved (diligo) soul (animus) , we(nos) grant(tribuo) the gifts(beneficium) of three(Trios).


	6. The Path Unchosen 1-4

Quick AN: These four have been posted here once already, I went back through and made minor changes (Mostly spelling and minor plot clarification) They've all been put in one chapter because I realized how short they were as I was preparing the next couple for posting.

My apologies,

Manatheron

Chapter 1:

It was another sweltering day at 4 Privet drive, and a young man name Harry potter was getting sick of it.

"Good Lord in heaven, I love the heat but could you tone it down a little bit?"

Briefly wiping his face Harry bent back to working on his aunts flower patch. He could almost hear her voice

_You get those flower beds perfect in every way! And god help you, if I find even the smallest thing out of place you get no food for a WEEK!_

Harry smiled a little bit at that, he had discovered a talent for basic summoning and banishing during school last year and had come up with a rather novel method of getting food, he simply banished a note and payment to a nearby food store, and then summoned the food when nobody was looking. It was amusing to see the look on the faces of the store clerks. He would probably have gotten in trouble with the ministry for it if he hadn't found out that he had an affinity for minor wandless magic. He knew he would probably never be exceptional, certainly not to the point of dueling with it, but the little he knew was a comfort, and it eased his workload considerably to be able to 'Accio' and then banish weeds into the compost pile rather than having to pull them out by hand.

"BOY! Aren't you done yet?"

_Ah joy, Uncle Vernon is home early_

"Not yet uncle, but I will be soon!"

"Hurry up! I have important business clients coming tonight!"

With those words and a window rattling slam of the door, Harry's uncle vanished back inside. Harry just rolled his eyes however.

_I wonder if Hedwig found them yet?_

-Two nights previous-

As Harry lay on his bed, he found himself thinking about Sirius, not uncommon as his godfather had died only a few short weeks ago, tonight was different though. He had been mourning the loss of Sirius for more than two weeks now, but as he lay there an odd thought popped into his head.

_why am I mourning Sirius' loss? I really never knew him that well…_

It had gotten him thinking, and Harry had come to the conclusion that it wasn't so much the fact that he was missing Sirius, as it was the fact that he had lost yet another link to his parents, and another chance to escape the Dursleys forever. In all reality the only person he had left was Remus. One thing had led to another, and soon he had drifted on to the many adventure he had over the years, working his way backward he had remembered Sirius in the DoM, the Tri-wizard tournament, the year Sirius escaped, Ginny and the chamber of secrets, and then of course his first year brush with the sorcerers stone.

_Hmm, Poor Nicolas Flamel, It's a pity that the stone was destroyed…wait!_

Harry's mind froze for a second

_Dear lord, I never apologized to him!_

In a mad scramble Harry had rolled out of bed and quickly crossed the room to his cousin's beat up old writing desk. Sitting down (And catching the leg of the chair so it didn't give out) He had written a letter of apology, both for the loss of the stone, and for the time it had taken him to apologize. After quickly sealing it he had sent it off with Hedwig

-End Flashback-

Summoning the last of the weeds Harry stood up and stretched before throwing the offending plant onto the compost pile and walking inside

"Stay off the Rug! You'll track filth everywhere!"

Harry nodded politely to his uncle, it was normal behavior. In fact if his uncle started acting nice, Harry figured he might just keel over from the shock of it. Taking off his shoes Harry started walking up the steps, his uncle following behind and making demands

"Stay out of the kitchen, stay away from the windows. No more than three minutes in the shower, be quick about it too, they should be here soon, if you hear the doorbell you will quietly descend the steps and answer it with whatever little tact you possess, be certain to put on some decent clothes as well, I know petunia bought you some dress clothes from goodwill. When the Mc-Gregor's guests are inside you will take their coats hang them up, and then go back to your room. If there is even the SMALLEST hint of the most MINOR disturbance, you will not be leaving your room until your freaky school starts up next fall, do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes Uncle Vernon"

Harry showered quickly, and then made his way to the smallest room in #4, Once it had been his cousin's second bedroom, now it was the storage room that Harry slept in. of course his 'family' never called it that in front of him, but He could hear them on occasion when they figured he was too far away

_Only a couple more years and then I can be shut of this place for good._

Faintly sounds filtered up from below, the low murmur of his uncle greeting their guests, his aunt's high and horsy false laugh. Sighing Harry changed into the ugly suit his aunt had picked up for him yesterday. Apparently someone had taken notice of the ragged castoff's Harry was always forced to wear and had asked Petunia to control her 'ragamuffin' of a nephew. Harry still had to wear his cousin's old shirts, but apparently baggy pants were too much. He now owned three pairs of 'work jeans' and a 'new suit'. The jeans weren't to bad outside of being worn nearly though, but the suit… the suit was something else all together.

_Well, at least it isn't some horrible hairy monstrosity like Hagrids. He's a good friend and all, but he REALLY needs someone to help him pick out formal clothes._

Sighing Harry moved over and sat on his bed and stared forlornly at the piles of boxes that he now shared space with. Over the last school year his aunt had apparently decided that she needed more space in the attic, and so she had moved all of the exceptionally old things into Harry's room, and then arranged the remainder alphabetically and by age. Harry didn't mind too much though, he had been going though the Box's in his free time, and had discovered a stack of old journals. Apparently they belonged to his mother's grandfather. Harry had found them fascinating, and had spent hours pouring though them. He was on the third of five so far, but even the first had sounded like the start of the thriller he had once borrowed from the school.

_Who I was is of no concern anymore. I have cast off the lies and falsehoods of my past and shall now attempt to live only in the present. From this day foreword I am Ares Michael Evans. As I write this I and my group of travelers are aboard a ship bound for the new world. I hope that someday my decedents will look upon me with pride, but for now I shall be content to have survived thus far…_

Harry was startled out of his pleasant thoughts however by a knock on the front door.

_Well, Time to face the music I suppose._

With one final tug on his Too-big sporting jacket (Frayed but still presentable… Barely) Harry hid his wand in the coat's pocket and quickly made his way down to the front door and opened it, Only to stare in shock at the person standing before him. He had seen this person before; the most memorable time on the night he killed a sixty foot basilisk. Looking at him the man gave a small half-smile.

"You must be Harry, Allow me to introduce myself… I'm Tom Riddle"

Chapter 2:

For a moment the world froze, there could be no doubt about the man standing in front of him; this was the man who had become Voldimort, the most feared Dark Lord in recent history, The man who had killed his parents. Harry stood frozen for a moment longer. Tom however had apparently decided that he had waited long enough.

"Harry, Hear me out before you do anything…"

Tom swallowed as he stared nervously at the wand now pointed between his eyes, Unable to stop however he finished.

"… Stupid."

"How did you find me? How did you get inside the wards?"

Oddly enough Tom flinched at the venom that dripped from Harry's voice.

"I'm not surprised to find you so… Reticent… about our meeting here, but…"

"BOY! What's Taking you so Long?"

Harry and Tom both jumped a little bit at the sound of Vernon's voice. And Tom Muttered quickly under his breath as Vernon continued

"I don't Like paying to cool the…"

Vernon Dursley however chose that moment to notice his nephew speaking to the man at the door, and stomped over. Immediately putting on an ingratiating air. Harry waited for the explosion that was bound to come at the sight of his wand, out and pointing at the man's head. Oddly enough Vernon didn't seem to notice the wand at all.

"Mr. Riddle! I didn't expect you to come by so soon."

"Oh I figured that I would stop by and look over the…"

Jerking his head up Harry suddenly realized that his wand had been disillusioned.

_Did I do that?_

Harry was shocked to hear a Voice in his mind reply

_No, I did._

Shocked again Harry looked into Tom's eyes as they strayed away from his uncle.

_I am not here to hurt or threaten you, that's why the wards let me though. I have a message, and an offer, But they will have to wait a little longer I'm afraid._

"… able to join us tomorrow then?"

"Oh most certainly Mr. Riddle, He will be up and waiting for you by 5am Sharp, will that be acceptable?"

"Of course Mr. Dursley, I will leave you to your party now. Goodnight."

Turning Tom walked down the garden path to a rather expensive looking car, and quietly drove away. Harry was left wondering what the hell had just happened when His Uncles Beefy hand descended upon his shoulder and whirled Harry around.

"You listen to me Good boy, or you will regret having been born. Mr. Riddle is my direct superior at Grunnings. He is well known for his charity work, and he has apparently heard I am having trouble controlling you and has decided to take you as a pet project. If you Screw this up, or badmouth me in any way, you will regret that your mother ever let your bastard of a father steal that first kiss. DO WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER?"

By this point he was squeezing rather hard on Harry's shoulder causing him to tremble slightly as he fought to block out the Pain. Through gritted teeth he managed to reply

"Yes Uncle Vernon."

"Good, Now, you are going to go and…"

Vernon never finished that statement however before the doorbell rang again, His uncle answered it, and after greeting The Davidson's he sent a glare at Harry which Quite clearly said 'Go to your room and don't make a sound."

Fuming at the Unfairness of it all Harry stuck his (still disillusioned) wand back into the coat pocket and turned to go.

"Why Hello again Harry."

The voice, Harry knew that voice anywhere.

"How are we this evening? Not giving your Uncle a hard time are you?"

The voice was cold as steel, smooth as silk, and it grated on Harry's nerves like fingernails on a chalk board. Harry was tempted to draw his wand again, but if that voice belonged to the women he thought it did, any such attempt would be suicide.

"Oh come now Harry, No welcome for me?"

"BOY… Er… I mean… Harry… won't you take Mrs. Davidson's coat for her."

"Oh please don't call me that, I always think someone is talking to my mother-in-law when people call me that. I insist that you call me Bella."

Turning slowly Harry was very careful to keep his temper in check

_She can't hurt me here, she can't hurt me here, Dumbledore said the blood wards keep me safe here._

"How did you get here? How did you find me?"

Harry could feel his uncle trying to glare though the back of his head, but he didn't really care. The women in front of him was a much greater threat than his uncle could EVER be. Belletrix Lestrange however just laughed at him.

"Why I was Invited inside of course, Just like something out of a fairy tale no?"

Harry and Vernon both clenched their teeth at this comment, but for different reasons.

"Harry, why don't you go up to your room... Mrs… er… Bella, if you and your husband…"

"Rudy dear."

"Right… If you and… Rudy… would care to join us in the sitting room, we were about to enjoy a meal."

"Oh Vernon… I may call you Vernon right?"

The Breathless airhead voice was REALLY starting to get on Harry's nerves.

"Er… Right."

"Can't your nephew join us? I've always found the 'Dark and dangerous' type to be Sooo intriguing."

"Sorry, But I'm afraid that I have some urgent business to attend elsewhere. Perhaps next time."

By this point Harry had tried to draw his wand at least three times, and each time it was as though his wand had vanished it's self. Bella's eyes glittered with a dark amusement as she replied.

"Pity. Well perhaps I will have the pleasure of your undivided attention when I come back."

"I'm certain you will."

Bella smiled a little wider at this comment.

"Perhaps I shall even bring some friends with me and we can all have a nice little Chat. Hmm?"

Harry didn't bother to reply, but he turned and all but sprinted out of the room. Moving upstairs as quickly as he could Harry rushed into his room and began digging though Dudley's old desk, trying to find some more parchment.

"Come on, Come on, where is it! I've got to tell Dumbledore… Where the HELL is his bloody 'Order' anyway."

"Still here."

Harry whirled around with a curse on his lips. Thankfully his missing wand had decided to make a re-appearance half way up the stairs. Sitting on his bed however was a very gloomy looking Tonks.

"Wotcher Harry."

"T… Tonks? Bloody HELL you scared me! Come on! we've got to get the hell out of here, they FOUND me and…"

"We know."

"WHAT?!"

"We tried to intercept her when she arrived. Unfortunately the wards prevented us from coming anywhere near her. Apparently she got your aunt to send her a personal invitation to come."

"So?"

Tonks sighed.

"Sorry, I forget that you didn't grow up like I did. With a written invitation, it's like she's blood see, until your aunt retracts that invitation the wards consider her a member of the family, and they protect her and any of her guests."

Harry sat down heavily on the floor.

"So that's it? Game over? The entire works is completely useless?"

"No. She's still the only person who can get to you and your family, a guest of a guest has no real rights after all. SHE can get through though, and they know where you live now, which means…"

"That these ward have just become a prison, and one of my jailers now has permission to take potshots at me anyway."

Tonks hung her head.

"Well… Ya, pretty much. She still can't use magic here, so we're going to up security a little more and…"

"Oh no you don't! You PEOPLE are going to get me the hell out of here!"

"We can't Harry… not till your birthday. The Blood wards need that much time to recharge."

Harry gritted his teeth

"Has it occurred to any of you that they are worthless at this point."

"Only against Bella…"

"Oh ONLY against the most Feared, Sadistic, Foul, Loathsome, Twisted, BITCH of them all? Well HELL what do I have to worry about?"

Tonks frowned slightly.

"Ya know Harry, I don't remember you having such a dirty mouth on ya."

Harry gritted his teeth again in an attempt not to yell at her.

"I wasn't Under QUITE this type of pressure before."

"Look, don't worry about it. It's only a couple more weeks ya? and then yer scot free!"

Feeling slightly bitter Harry deadpanned

"Woohoo… I can hardy contain myself."

Tonks quirked an eyebrow at this comment,

"That's the spirit Harry, well cya!"

"Wait! Tonks that was… Sarcasm"

Harry shook his head as he stared at his empty bed. Tonks had disappearated with a soft 'Pop' before he could finish the sentence.

"Ah Hell."

Stripping down to his boxers Harry climbed into bed though he kept a tight hold on his wand. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter 3:

_" I can confirm it my lord, Harry Potter is currently residing at number 4 private drive."_

_"Excellent, It seems that our informant is doing her job then."_

_"If I may be so bold my lord?"_

_"Speak."_

_"While I was there I managed to trace the wards."_

_"… Continue."_

_"They are tied directly to the boy's aunt. If anything… Untoward… were to happen to her, there is every chance that they would collapse all together."_

_Raising a hand Harry trailed it down the kneeling Belletrix's cheek_

_"You have done well my servant, and for this you may name your reward."_

_"I live to serve my lord."_

* * *

Panting and shaking, Harry rolled out of bed. It was happening more and more frequently now. Often times he would find himself looking though Voldimort's eyes, feeling his emotions. It was getting to be a real problem, and no matter how often he tried to 'clear his mind' the images just kept coming back.

_Gotta… Gotta write Dumbledore._

Dragging Himself over to his cousin's old desk Harry grabbed a quill, and the sheet of parchment he had abandoned when Tonks startled him the day before.

_Albus,_

_I had another vision. Bella reported to Voldemort about the state of the wards around number four. He seemed very excited, especially when she told him she managed to trace them to_ _my aunt._

_Thought you should know,_

_Harry._

Signing it quickly, Harry hoped that Hedwig would return soon. She was off hunting at the moment.

_So… So very tired… just a couple of minutes…_

* * *

Harry slowly roused at the feel of feathers on his cheek.

"Huh? Wazzat? Oh, Hedwig! Thank goodness your back! Here, could you take this to the headmaster for me?"

Hedwig ruffled her feather in mock indignation, as if to say "What? Don't you think I can do it?" Harry of course just chuckled a little.

"Atta girl. Hurry will you? It's kind of urgent."

Hedwig hooted again and then paused for a moment so Harry could tie on the letter, before turning and flying out the window. Rubbing his eyes Harry turned to look at the bedside clock.

"Four thirty? Hmm no wonder my neck hurts."

Yawning and stretching Harry threw on some clothes and carefully hid his wand in the waistband of his pants. It was nearly time to meet the elusive mister Riddle, and he wanted to be ready. Carefully Harry made his way down the stairs intent on catching the man before he could arrive

_So long as I don't leave the property he can't hurt me. Here I'm safe._

Harry finished creeping down the stairs and was about to walk down the hall toward the front door when a voice spoke up behind him.

"Right on time, Excellent! I was worried I'd have to go up and wake you."

Sitting at his aunt's immaculate table and sipping on a glass of tea was THE Tom riddle. Harry studied him for a moment, and Tom did the same, pretending not to notice that Harry once again had his wand out and trained on him, and had done so before Tom could finish the second word of his greeting.

"Please, have a seat."

Tom gestured, and the chair across from him noiselessly drew back. Harry however shook his head slightly and remained standing. Shrugging Tom's eyes seemed to say 'Suit yourself'.

"How did you get in?"

Tom raised his eyebrow, this was the first time Harry had spoke to him this morning.

"Well, I AM a wizard Harry, Muggle locks aren't very effective against me."

"Why are you here?"

"My my, rather testy this morning aren't we?"

Harry tightened his grip on the wand, and Tom looked at him for a long moment before continuing.

"What will it take for you to sit and listen to me without having your wand pointed constantly in my direction."

"The second coming of Christ."

Tom's eyebrows shot up into his hairline for a moment before he had the grace to look embarrassed.

"I suppose I deserve that… Alright, your request isn't likely to happen, but I'll give you the next best thing. I, Tomas Marvolo Riddle, swear on my magic that I will not intentionally hurt you, nor allow you to come to harm though inaction for the next twenty-four hours. Should I break my word may magic forsake me, So I have spoken, So may it be!"

Harry was surprised at the oath, but the golden-red glow that enveloped Tom when he quit speaking was evidence enough of the truth of his words, and reluctantly Harry put his wand back, and then moved to sit across the table from him.

"Alright, Talk."

"Harry… may I call you Harry?"

Harry was immediately reminded of Belletrix's comments to his uncle the night before, but said nothing. Tom took this as a positive sign, and continued.

"Harry. I am here representing a certain man and his wife, both of whom I shall reveal in a moment, you tendered them a letter earlier this year, and they were most intrigued to read it. When they had finished it the man immediately began looking into your background and academic record at the urging of his wife. What they found apparently pleased them because I am here to offer you a summer apprenticeship."

Harry was shocked for a moment before he burst out laughing. Tom looked mildly affronted

"Hah! Nice try Riddle, but I haven't written anyone except my friends this summer. I don't even KNOW anyone else to write to."

Tom leaned back and studied Harry for a moment before reaching up and pulling a piece of parchment out of the top of his robe.

"You mean to tell me that you Didn't write this?"

Warily taking the paper from him, Harry scanned the first few lines before gasping, his eyes opened wide in shock as he stared at Tom. Tom on the other hand was staring deeply into Harry's eyes, and suddenly Harry felt the telltale itch of someone digging though his memories. Quickly forcing the man out Harry drew his wand again in preparation to hex him.

"STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD RIDDLE!"

Tom on the other hand just waved a hand at him and began rubbing his temples.

"Sorry about that, but I had to be sure that you were being entirely honest with your apology. You see Mr. Flamel hasn't agreed to tutor anyone in over Five Hundred years. The closest he has come is with your headmaster, and that was more of a partnership than a true mentorship."

Harry lowered his wand slightly.

"What do you know about that?"

"I am here…"

Said Tom as he sat up straighter in his chair.

"… To offer you the chance to apprentice to Mr. Nicholas Flamel."

Chapter 4:

"BOY! WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?"

Startled Harry Jumped out of his chair and whirled around to stare into the purpling face of his Uncle. Harry had no Idea how long he had been thinking of his strange conversation with Riddle, but obviously it had been quite a while.

"Sorry Uncle Vernon, Mr. Riddle was called away on a family emergency and had to cancel for today, He told me to be ready to work twice as hard tomorrow though."

Vernon's face flickered though a gamut of emotions ranging from suspicious to angry to annoyed, before finally settling on acceptance.

"Fine. Start breakfast then."

Harry immediately and set to work frying bacon and eggs for his uncle, Tea for his Aunt, and of course Dudley's usual three-foot stack of pancakes.

* * *

Wiping the sweat off his forehead Harry finished adjusting the gas feed on his uncles rickety old lawn mower and thought back again on his conversation with Riddle.

_Where is the trick? Why would the most feared Dark lord in history claim to be working for Nicolas Flamel? How did he get though the wards?_

Harry's thoughts however were interrupted by a high, false laugh from inside the house, and his blood ran cold again.

"Why Petunia, however did you get that young ruffian to help out with the chores? I would think that it would be terribly hard to get such a nasty child to do anything useful?"

Harry risked a glance over his shoulder there; standing at the back door was Belletrix Lestrange, watching with a fairly cruel amusement at the plight Harry found himself in

"Oh it's not such a hassle Bella, It's part of his parole, He'll get thrown back into the detention center if he doesn't help out around the house a little bit, and if he gets too sassy, then Vernon has been given permission to take a belt to him."

Belle nodded in false understanding before turning to Petunia.

"So tell me dear, what would happen if he were to murder you?"

Petunia's eyes widened in shock, and Harry could do nothing but watch in horror as his aunts eyes began to grow glassy, almost as though it was in slow motion Harry saw her fall, Belletrix's hand pulling the dagger free as his aunt crashed down onto the immaculate lawn, blood pouring over the back step an onto the freshly mowed grass.

"And now Harry-poo we get to continue our little talk in peace."

Belletrix no longer used the High simpering voice that she had for his aunt, but the cold cruel voice of the killer she was. Still in shock Harry fumbled for his wand, trying to draw it to defend himself. Bella was prepared for this however, and easily summoned it away from him.

"Now now little Harry-poo, you shouldn't be thinking such naughty thoughts about your new mistress."

Harry's eyes flickered rapidly across his surroundings, plotting the fastest exit, but before he could even take a step toward freedom he found himself writhing on the ground in pain.

"Did you like that little Harry-poo? Would you like another taste of Aunty Bella's _Doleo_ curse?"

Thinking quickly Harry waved his hand at her, trying to wandlessly summon his wand back. To his infinite shock, and the surprise of Bellatrix as well, it actually came! Bella however wasn't about to let this happen if she could prevent it, and quickly tried to summon it back again. This time Harry was prepared however, and the wand didn't so much as twitch in his grasp.

"Well, well, It seems that little baby Potty has learned some new tricks. Tell me Potty-poo, did you do that on purpose?"

Harry's response however was a quick series of disarming spells and tripping jix's Bella laughed however as she easily swatted them aside.

"It seems potty-poo, that it was a fluke after all. Let me show you just a taste of true power hmm?"

Harry tensed as Bella started muttering a complex incantation under her breath as she waved her wand in a slow circle. Shocked Harry let this continue for almost half a minute before it occurred to him to attack before she could finish. Unfortunately for him, this was exactly what she wanted As his quick disarming jinxs neared her, Bella smirked and suddenly drew a diagonal line through the circle she had been tracing and yelled

"Rumpo!"

Harry had just enough time to wonder why she would suddenly switch to a shattering spell when his attack passed though the circle she had drawn, and suddenly Harry found himself unable to move, his magic working against his body and holding him perfectly still. Beads of sweat broke out on Bella's face, but slowly Harry's spell began to invert colors, going from the bright red of the stunning spell to a deep blue. Harry felt his eyes widen as a hair thin link of blue suddenly raced back to his wand tip then the spell vanished. For a moment Harry thought she had just managed to counter it, and then all hell broke loose as Harry's Beloved Holly and Phoenix feather wand exploded into a million pieces. Harry had just enough time to register Bella's smirk, and a faint movement at the edge of his vision before he felt two strong arms encircle him, and his world went black.


	7. The Path Unchosen 5-6

An: Consider this my apology for the minor inconvenience of the re-post of 1-4

Manatheron

* * *

**_Harry had just enough time to register Bella's smirk, and a faint movement at the edge of his vision before he felt two strong arms encircle him, and his world went black._**

* * *

**_Chapter 5:_**

Harry awoke to the feeling of someone placing a cool cloth on his head, and the murmur of voices

"Poor child, are you sure about what he went though Tom?"

"Yes Penny, I managed to peek at his childhood memories before he kicked me out, rather violently too I might add. He was honest in the letter, he actually thought that he caused the headmaster to destroy your husband's stone."

"Crazy old man, Don't get me wrong, he tries to keep everyone's best interests in mind, but he's still insane."

"Oh I quite agree. Even Voldimort worries what the old codger might have up his sleeve."

"I still think…"

The voice that Harry now Identified as 'Penny' Cut off as a nearby door opened, and a new voice joined the conversation.

"Well, I just got off the fire with Albus. I told him that you had a vision about the boy so that he doesn't worry the world with an announcement that he's been captured or something."

"Did he say anything Nick?"

"Only that Harry's aunt was badly injured and that if we happen across him we should relay the message that he's welcome to spend the rest of the summer at Hogwarts."

At this Harry sighed in relief. The affect of this of course was to immediately draw the eyes of everyone in the room.

"Ahh Harry my boy! Good to see you're awake."

Deciding that there was no point in pretending to be asleep any longer Harry opened his eyes to look around. Initially he had thought that he was in a hospital room, or even the medical wing at Hogwarts again, but his first glance quickly cured him of that notion. First off no hospital he had ever been in would paint its walls such a bright, eye searing lime green. Secondly he had never seen a hospital room in with so many different potions simmering as they sat around the edges of the room, Nor such an eclectic mix of muggle and magical potions apparatus. Then of course there were the people.

"Pleased to meet you Harry, My name is Pernelle Flamel"

Harry studied Pernelle for a moment before inclining his head.

"Good afternoon Pernelle, I'm Harry Potter."

Pernelle smiled at him, but Nicholas wasn't having any of that and immediately drew Harry's attention by clapping him on the shoulder.

"Harry Mboy no need to be so formal! Name's Nicholas, call me Nick!"

So saying Nicholas extended his hand to Harry. Again Harry studied him for a moment before clasping hands with the man.

"Good afternoon Nick. Harry is fine."

Nicholas laughed again, a hearty belly laugh that filled the room.

"You'll do son, you'll do. Of course you've already met our hired hand."

"I have?"

Nick looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Of course son! Tom! Get over here! Tom is the one who pulled you to safety of course, and I'm sure he spoke to you earlier on our behalf."

Harry on the other hand tensed up as Tom Riddle came back into the room. Tom didn't even bother to extend his hand however, and just gazed sadly at Harry. This of course didn't go unnoticed by Nick.

"Tom? What the hell has gotten into you son? Come say hello again."

"Sorry Nick, but I don't think Harry would much care for that. In fact he's probably doubting you quite a bit at the moment as well."

Nick turned back to Harry obviously expecting to prove tom wrong, but when Harry moved slightly backwards to keep everyone in sight better Nick frowned.

"Now what got into you son?"

Harry's voice remained neutral as he responded.

"I'm sorry sir. You might indeed be Nicholas Flamel, but I think that I would prefer to verify that… especially in light of who you employ."

This comment, though spoken in a mild tone caused nick to step back as though slapped.

"What the? TOM! What the HELL did you tell this poor boy?"

Tom shook his head however.

"I haven't said anything to make him act like this sir."

"Then would you mind explaining to me exactly WHY he's…"

Nick didn't get a chance to finish however when Pernelle suddenly gasped

"You know!"

Harry's eyes were guarded, and he didn't move to either confirm or deny what she had said, waiting for her to qualify it. Nick was shocked however.

"Well? Do you?"

Harry turned to look at him, but Tom beat him to the punch.

"He knows, at least he knows part of it. He drew his wand on me before I could get more than a couple of words out during our first meeting."

By this point Pernelle's face had drained of color. She spoke anyway however.

"What… what would you need to do to confirm that we are who we claim?"

Harry thought for a moment before remembering a bond he shared, a bond based on love and trust. Mentally Harry called out

_Fawks? Fawks could you come here please?_

There was another tense moment in which nick opened his mouth to speak again, before he could however, there was a blast of flame, and then a phoenix was gliding down to land on Harry's shoulder. Harry smiled at the Phoenix, and she returned the gesture by rubbing her head on Harry's cheek. Nick and Pernelle were of course shocked and surprised. Especially when a single golden tear rolled down her cheek and dripped un-noticed onto Harry's neck. Tom on the other hand expressed only interest. After another second or two Harry looked over at her.

"Fawks, would you please verify for me that this is in fact Nick and Pernelle Flamel?"

The phoenix let out a short trill that sounded to Harry a great deal like laughter before flying over to Nick's shoulder and looking him deep in the eyes, a second later she did the same for Pernelle before flying back to Harry and singing a single crystalline note. Harry chuckled again for he could have sworn that she had just answered -It's them-. This of course couldn't be anything but his imagination.

"Well, if they are good enough for you then I guess they are good enough for me."

After a moment the phoenix cocked her head to one side as though asking a question. Harry caught the implied 'Anything else I can do for you?' in the look and he smiled.

"Not unless you want to check and make sure Tom over there means me no harm."

For a moment the Phoenix cocked her head from one side to the other as though thinking about his request very seriously, before taking to the air again. Slowly she circled Tom who, though wary, kept perfectly still. After a few moments the phoenix began to hum a little as she circled, and once again Harry could have sworn he heard words, echoing song like in the air.

_The Child of light _

_Shall his equals find_

_The beacons for the fight ahead_

_The Lord of dark _

_Whose heart is black_

_Shall fall then in his stead._

_The children grey _

_The ageless ones_

_To whom the law means naught_

_Shall teach the child_

_And he shall grow_

_And soon shall claim their spot_

_Betrayed is he_

_The child of light_

_Though not by those who see_

_The sealed one_

_Shall rise again_

_By Lord of Grey set free._

After a moment the phoenix stopped her circling, and again flew over to land on Harry's shoulder, and again he could have sworn he heard words in her melodic chirrup.

-The sealed one bears you no ill will.-

Harry blinked a few times wondering if he was delusional until she again gave the short trill that he associated with laughter and rubbed her cheek against his.

"Alright Fawks, I've trusted you this far, I see no reason to change that. If you say he's OK, then all is well."

For some reason however it felt odd to call her Fawks, almost almost as though it was the wrong name. After another moment however the phoenix took to the air. Circled the room once, and disappeared in another burst of flames. For a long moment there was silence, and then Harry extended a hand toward a startled Tom Riddle.

"Hello Tom, The name is Harry."

* * *

Sighing Albus Dumbledore stood and stretched before walking over to the perch of his 'familiar' Fawks and ran gentle fingers through her feathers. Had anyone been in the room they would probably have been startled at the sadness in his eyes

"Have I done the right thing love? I knew how he was being treated and I did nothing. I was so certain that blood would come through in the end."

-Albus, you know as well as I do that you did what you thought was right.-

"I seem to recall you being against it though."

-Yes well, even Phoenix are wrong on occasion.-

"Unfortunately for me however that occasion tends to be a great deal less often then humans."

Fawks gave the equivalent of a shrug before answering.

-It can't be changed now, all we can do is continue forward and hope for the best.-

"To true heart, to true"

After another moment one of the many silver objects in the room made a ringing sound, and a glowing picture appeared above it showing a swarthy man in a light green robe being carried upward by the moving stairs.

"Duty calls I guess"

-No worries Albus, I'm not going anywhere today.-

Albus Dumbledore, Leader of the light, Supreme Mugwump of the International confederation of Wizards (ICW) and all around good-guy sighed and rubbed his temples before returning to his seat. He had been doing Interviews for the Defense against the Dark Arts (DADA) position all week, and unless this one showed a great deal more promise than the last, the Ministry would probably end up appointing his teacher again. Sitting down he canceled his doorbell and called out

"Come in Mr. Flechette."

_Well, here goes nothing._

* * *

_Hello Harry, _

_How are you? Things are going well here._

_Listen, There are some things that I need_

_to discuss with you. Is there any way that_

_we could maybe meet sometime soon? _

_Perhaps Professor Dumbledore would let_

_Me… _

Crumpling up the letter Hermoine pulled a fresh sheet toward her and began again.

_Dear Harry,_

_I know that your probably blaming _

_yourself for Sirius' death. Well let me tell_

_you something. ITS NOT YOUR FAULT._

_It was his choice to..._

Sighing Hermoine crumpled up that letter too. She had already tried writing this several times, but it never seemed to come out right. Wincing slightly she rubbed the still tender skin on her chest. It had been several weeks since the fight in the department of mysteries, but the cut still ached a little on occasion. Luckily Madam Pomfrey had been able to patch her up in no time flat, but she now knew from experience that curse scars took a while to stop hurting even after the wound it's self was healed. Reaching over she grabbed yet another piece of parchment when there was a knock on the door.

"It open!"

The door pushed open slightly, and her parents walked into the room. This worried her a little as they usually worked on Saturday's and then took Sunday and Monday off.

"Mom? Dad? What's wrong? What happened?"

Sitting down on her bed her mother beckend her over.

"Hermoine, Luv, your father and I need to tell you something, Especially as you are getting to the age that you have a few choices to make."

Hermoine frowned but got up and moved across the room to sit by her mother.

"Mom? What's going on? You and dad are scaring me."

Dan and Emma Granger shared a look before Emma turned back to her daughter.

"Hermoine, sweet-heart… what do you know about… Wix?

* * *

Harry sighed as he ran his hands through his hair again.

"Focus Harry! All it takes is focus!"

Giving his mentor an evil look, Harry focused on trying to change the shape of the clay in front of him using nothing but his willpower. He had been working on this particular skill for nearly a week now and he still had yet to get even the most rudimentary results. Sitting on a desk off to one side Tomas Riddle frowned.

_It makes no sense. I'd say he has no skill for wandless casting at all if I hadn't seen him use it already._

After another five minutes of an increasingly annoyed Harry focusing on the clay, a small chime went off somewhere above them. Both teens sighed when they heard it, and Tom wandlessly banished the clay back into a supplies closet as they stood. For a moment he studied the frustration playing across Harry's face.

"Be at peace."

At this Harry gave Tom another glare before focusing inward, allowing his anger to subside, storing the feeling and frustration for later. Eyes closed Tom followed his progress using only the most passive of legilimacy. When Harry's mind was clear again Tom withdrew and smiled at him.

"Much better. Your Occlemency is coming more and more quickly now. Penny will be happy to hear it!"

As much as he didn't want to, Harry couldn't help but smile a little at the praise. He still didn't trust Tom any further than he could throw him (Though that distance was improving as he practiced his wandless banishing charm when nobody was around) but Tom was exceedingly sparing with his compliments, so it was very high praise.

"Thanks. Dinner?"

Tom Shrugged

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

"Wix? I've heard the term once before, but I never really paid it any attention. Ron was saying something about a cousin of his that was an accountant somewhere who was a squib, and Mrs. Weasly corrected him. She said 'not a squib dear, a wix.' I didn't think much about it at the time; I figured it was just a more polite way of talking about a non-magical relative. From the look on your faces though I'd say there's more to it than that."

Dan ran a hand through his hair in a manner that reminded Hermione vaguely of Harry before letting out a deep sigh. Emma, seeing how torn her husband was about which direction to take the conversation interjected.

"To change the subject for just a moment dear, this 'Ron' is the same one you've been writing home about for a while now right? The one you had a crush on."

Hermione frowned

"Yes. why?"

Dan looked up grim faced.

"His mother's maiden name wouldn't happen to be 'Prewitt' would it?"

Confused and now slightly nervous Hermione nodded, and Dan closed his eyes the way he usually did when he was making a tough decision.

"Hermione, honey, I can't think of an easy way to say this so I'll just come right out with it… He's your cousin."

* * *

_Well, that's that…_

Shaking his head, Harry went back to looking around the silvered trees in the woods behind Nick's home. Sad as it was, Tom had given up on him today. After two frustrating weeks of trying to master Wandless casting all Harry could do was basic Summoning, Basic Banishing, and a weak 'Lumos'. Both Nick and Pernelle had sat in on his last three lessons as Tom had put him through his paces, but in the end they had agreed that he had probably found his only wandless affinities.

_On the Plus side, I get to learn wand crafting._

When they had learned what had happened to Harry's former wand both Nick and Tom had been furious. Surprisingly however Pernelle had just shook her head and told him he'd have to craft a new one. So here he was wandering aimlessly around the small grove behind their home, trying to 'Feel' what types of wood he would be compatible with. So far he had had only found one tree, and that had been guarded by a colony of little men that had looked to be made of twigs. He was certain that he should know their species, Bow-something, but he was too lazy to dig though his book to find out what they were

_Just my luck I'd run into a species I should probably have learned as a second year. Then again the whole bit with Riddle and Ginny would probably have kept me fairly distracted anyway._

Harry sighed to himself, It seemed he would have to go dig though his supplies however as he kept getting drawn back to that same tree.

/Ahhh Hell. I'll just have to go look it up I guess./

/A sspeaker? Thiss Iss new. You are not the old sspeaker!/

Harry paused for a moment wondering where the voice had come from before realizing that he must have accidentally slipped into parsel while dwelling on the chamber of secrets

/Who's there?/

For a moment there was no response, and Harry feared that he had imagined the voice after all. The notion was dispelled however by a movement at his feet.

/I am here sspeaker./

Harry looked the snake over, and as he couldn't remember it from any of his CMC (Care of Magical Creatures) books he assumed it was quite muggle.

/Hello there small one. Are you poisonous?/

/I am not. I wonder what you are going to 'look up' at however. You are already staring at the great greenness above./

/'look up'? OH! No, I'm going to go search for information. The words 'look up' are just my people's way to say it with fewer words. /

/what do you seek? /

/A branch from the tree/

/that's simple. The small brown wrigglers from the next tree over are enough to calm the…. /

Above the two a much more ancient creature stared down, discontent flickering behind violet eyes.

_A new speaker as well? This might change things._

With a shake of the head the ancient one cleared her thoughts and went back to watching the two converse.

* * *

For a second or two there was no response, but when Hermoine organized her thoughts it came out as a storm

"COUSINS! No, We can't be! You'd have to be a… a… "

Dan sighed again.

"Hermione baby, didn't you find it odd how your loving and completely ordinary parents took it in stride when you got your letter? Didn't it strike you as funny when we weren't surprised at all when Minerva levitated the coffee table?"

"S… so you're… you're both…"

Dan laughed slightly at that.

"No, your mother is about as muggle as they come. I am, well, I _Was_ a wizard. Hermoine, a wix is nothing more or less than a mage that completely swears away his or her magic. Oh I still have it, make no mistake about that, I just can't access it. I could take my old wand and scream 'Lumos' for weeks on end and not get a single brief glimmer."

"But… But why would you…"

"Give it up?"

Hermoine nodded.

"There are certain advantages to swearing away one's magic. Exemption from certain laws, escape from end-line clauses and family curses. The most important one was the deal I made however. In exchange for my magic my family will survive Voldimort and his war. Once he falls for the last time the vow is dissolved taking all my magic with it. I struck a deal with the cosmos so to speak."

"But… but how are we…"

"Our name? I was originally Theodore Prewitt. After my twin brothers Gideon and Fabian died, I made my oath. Unfortunately however, my sister Molly didn't approve of it much, and I'm afraid we lost contact over the years. If my theory is correct she later married Arthur Weasley and is now your friend Ron's mother."

Hermione slumped back in her seat a million thoughts running though her brain. Unfortunately for her the most prominent one was

_I snogged my COUSIN?_

* * *

/*/I Said FOCUS!/*/

Harry grumbled to himself. He had thought that Tom was bad, but Ssilvenia was a great many times worse.

_How the hell do I always end up with the sadists?_

Looking down Harry tried again to force his mind to accept the odd characters as words. It had been two weeks since Tom had finally given up on teaching him wandless magic, claiming that he would have to be content with the little bit he knew. Nicholas of course had taken great delight in this pronouncement, as it meant Harry was free to learn other things, such as a new language. When Harry had jokingly mentioned that he was already a parsel-tounge he had been shocked by a voice telling him he sounded like a drunken reprobate when he attempted to speak. And thus he had met Ssilvenia, his new parsel-master.

/ Reveal your secrets!/

Harry had found that there were in fact three main dialects of Parsel. The first was rudimentary, a language for ordering around the almost mindless garden snakes and lower lizards. It sounded strongly like human speech minus all the vowels and half the consonants. This was what he normally spoke, and anyone could learn it given enough time and inclination.

/*/ NO! How many times must I tell you! Don't, DO NOT under ANY circumstances Force your speech like that! I if I didn't know better I'd SWEAR that you've never truly been inducted!/*/

The second was the language of the upper serpents including all magical varieties and a handful of the more intelligent non-magical ones. The average person through diligent study could possibly hope to be able to speak it fluently by the age of 120 or so. Most families with the talent inborn eventually spoke this dialect, albeit poorly. Few considered it worthwhile to learn to utilize it properly however. It sounded very similar to the sounds a snake would naturally make. Assuming you gave them a rough tone and magnified it several times

/ Reveal. Your. Secrets! /*

/*/have you not payed any attention to me at all boy? Or are you truly this thick? I waste valuable time attempting to pound simple basics into your pathetic little skull and THIS is the best effort you can give me?/*/

The final dialect, 'High' Parsel was the language spoken by the 'greater' serpents. Dragons, Wyrmlings, and Occemy, those few species of reptile truly capable of higher thought. One did not try to order them about of course, but they held a great respect for any who could speak their language and would usually follow any reasonable request. On the human tongue it was nearly silent, and required a great deal of skill as it also included a mental component. It was also impossible for a Human to speak unless It was gifted to them in it's entirety. People who had been 'Inducted' By a magical serpent could learn it, usually by listening to it being spoken.

/*/What was the name of the one who granted you your skills? They shall be made Pariah for bestowing our noble tongue on one such as you!/*/

Finally Harry hit the breaking point and snapped back.

*/ No-one did! I received what I know from the curse I survived! If you don't like it, you can just bite me you winged menace!/*

For a moment Ssilvenia looked shocked, and then she did just that!

* * *

"…ry?"

"…harry?"

"HEY POTTER!"

Harry's eyes shot open at the loud sound, and he immediately winced against the intense light that filled his room.

"I swear I'll get you for that Riddle!"

Tom only smirked however and stepped aside as Perenelle took his place. In a much softer voice than Tom had used she asked

"How are you feeling Harry?"

Harry brought his hand up to rub his temple.

"I feel like I've been sleeping with my head in a vice!"

"That can be arranged Mboy!"

Harry scowled at Nicholas. Nobody had the right to sound that bloody cheerful while he was in pain. Perenelle seemed to understand his thinking and reached over to give her husband a whack on the back of the head.

"You're not helping Nick!"

Turning back she addressed Harry again.

"Tell me, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I got done with the brewing nick told me to do for my wand and went to my language lessons. I thought I was showing progress, but you know Ssilvenia. She just pushed harder, finally I got frustrated and told her to…"

There was a brief pause before Harry's voice, laced with power, thundered though the Flamel mansion.

/*/ SSILVENIA! /*/

/*/ Oh do shut up. Just because you can speak it properly now doesn't mean you need to be screaming it at the top of your voice! /*/

Harry's mouth closed with a click and his eyes widened

/*/ How? /*/

Ssilvenia's smug voice sounded right behind him

/*/ I made you a proper gift of it of course. /*/

Sinking back into the bed Harry glared at his teacher.

/*/ Oh yes, you should be immune to most types of venom now as well… No need to thank me. /*/

And with that the Purple eyed Occemy turned and flew out the window.

* * *

_What now? Thank god Ron and I only went as far as kissing before we decided that we wouldn't work as a couple. I'd hate to have found that out after we progressed to…_

Hermoine shuddered slightly and tried to banish her imagination as the thoughts of groping her cousin manifested themselves.

_Well, at least I can say this summer has been dull._

Sighing Hermione sat down on her bed and propped her head up in her hands, her mind traveling unbidden to what her father had told her.

-Flashback-

"Hermoine. I know this is a shock, but I'm afraid that I have another one for you."

Hermoine's head whipped around and her face paled

"I'm not related to Harry too am I?"

To her immense relief however her father just smiled

"No pumpkin. The Potters haven't believed in the 'Blood purity' cause for quite a few generations."

"Oh thank goodness!"

Her mother shook her head and smiled, but her father was slightly more somber.

"There's something else you need to know about our family Hermione. The Prewitts… we have a family curse."

* * *

"Now Harry, since you're done with Ssilvenia's Lessons in Parsel I think it's time for you to learn at least the basics of Alchemy. Let's see now, in as few words as possible cover everything you know about alchemy."

Harry stared at him blankly.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know anything about alchemy sir."

"What? Nothing? Oh right! You're probably too young yet, what are you? Second year? Third?"

Harry opened his mouth to tell Nick that He was in fact going into his sixth year, but Nichols was already speaking again.

"All right, my mistake, all of you youngsters start looking about the same age after a while. Let's try this again. What would happen if I were to add Mammal tears to lizard blood without first infusing a neutralizer?"

Again Harry stared at him blankly. This seemed far to close to his first potions class. Nicholas however was in shock.

"My dear boy this should be basic. Ok, let's try again. List for me the effect of silver on magical vegetables."

Harry's continued look of confusion however had Nick frowning.

"It's not possible that you don't know this, this is the most basic, core, and above all Vital information for anyone attempting potions to know! How's it possible that you haven't been taught this?"

"I'm not sure sir. Normally Snape just gives us the instructions and tells us to get to work."

"But surely you've read all the precautions on your index table."

"My what sir?"

Nick frowned

"Um, Nick… I don't… We haven't…"

Nick's frown deepened.

"Harry… Please tell me you've been screwing around in class. If Albus' teacher hasn't taught you these principles yet there is something seriously wrong here."

Harry blushed a little.

"Um perhaps it would be better if you saw it sir."

Nick studied Harry's face for a moment before walking over to a shelf and retrieving his Penseive.

"I want a standard lesson harry. Don't try to sway my judgment please."

Harry frowned for a moment in thought.

"Tell you what, I grant you permission to pull any five lessons at random, please just give me a moment to bring them all to the forefront of my mind"

Nick nodded, and after a moment he did just that, pulling five memories out of Harry's mind, using legimacy to bring them all to the wand tip at once. With a deep breath and a final look at Harry he stuck a hand in, and Harry watched emotions flicker across his face as he reviewed them. After five minutes or so Nick broke the connection, his face stormy.

"I see…"

Shaking his head, Nick took a moment to clear the memories away (Banishing memories apparently returned them to their originator) and turned to face Harry again.

"Ok, well I guess we'll start at the basics. Probably better like this anyways, less preconceived notions. To begin with…"

* * *

"A curse? I don't believe in that nonsense!"

Dan smiled sadly. And replied

"And yet you've already seen it in action."

"What?"

"Tell me Hermoine. When did you finally decide which one of your friends you would rather chase?"

Hermoine cocked her head to one side.

"Why?"

"I'm trying to prove a point dear."

"Just before fourth year. At the station. I told myself that whoever I saw first must be the right one."

"And?"

Hermoine frowned.

"Harry had a Crush on Cho Chang"

"So?"

"So I decided to wait for a while. I figured he'd get over it."

"Did he?"

"Yes, but I'd already… given… up… on… him. No way! I don't believe it!"

"Alright, what about last year?"

"I decided that Ron was the better option because Harry was so moody and I was pretty sure that Ron was crushing on me."

"And?"

Hermoine didn't answer and after a moment Emma replied for her.

"The harder you chased him the more he seemed drawn to other girls right?"

Hermoine's head bowed and a few silent tears made their way down her cheeks.

"Why."

Dan leaned over and pulled her into a hug letting her cry on her shoulder.

"Why do they keep hurting me like this?"

"Shh Sweetheart, this is what I've been trying to tell you. It's not them, and it's certainly not you. It's the curse on our family. It's handed down by the oldest child, and I'm afraid that I'm it. I was hoping that my vow would negate it altogether, but it seems luck wasn't on our side this time."

"S… so what is it? W… what's the curse?"

"Brace yourself dear."

Hermoine nodded before sitting up and taking several calming breaths.

"Alright. I'm ready now."

"You'll never be their only love."

"What?"

"Every time you get close to someone they'll feel compelled to seek out another. Unless they're resonant, and even then they will probably have an obsession of some kind."

Hermoine gave a choking laugh at that statement, finding humor in spite of her tears.

"Poor Mrs. Weasly. I bet she thinks the curse passed to her."

Dan's eyebrows shot up at that.

"Why do you say that dear?"

"Because Mr. Weasly is obsessed with Muggles. They absolutely fascinate him."

Dan suppressed a small smile, and Emma grinned openly.

"Bad luck on her part I guess."

"What do you mean by 'Resonate' by the way?"

* * *

Harry frowned at Tom. Over the last month he and Tom had grown rather close, but Harry had never seen him so pale or drawn before. He would have thought it was Lycanthropy if it wasn't for the fact that it was the new moon rather than the full one.

"Alright Tom, you've been acting funny for the last couple of days, what's the problem?"

"Nothing!" Tom snarled "Stay out of it Potter, This doesn't concern you!"

"Whoa! Easy there Riddle! I'm just a little concerned about you ok? Obviously something is up, your pale and shaky, you've been pacing a hole in the floor, and you've been in an increasingly poor humor as the week has progressed. So don't try to claim it's 'Nothing' Ok? I'm not a moron!"

Tom scowled at him for a moment before dropping his eyes under Harry's rather intense gaze. Sighing he ran a hand through his hair.

"Ya, alright. It's not 'Nothing', it's just… not something I'm proud of. Look I'm… My other… -Sigh- look I'm not… entirely here on the new moon Ok? Just… just leave it at that. Please?"

Harry gave him a long look, one that made Tom more than a little uncomfortable before giving him a sharp nod.

"Alright, I'll let it go this time, but I hope that sooner or later you'll be willing to tell me."

With that Harry Turned and walked out of the room. Tom shook his head dejectedly waiting a few moments before slipping out himself and moving down the hall, His form becoming more and more pale as midnight approached, Swiftly he descended to the dungeon level. Taking a deep breath he stepped straight through a solid wall and paused, re-gaining his orientation as he took in the sight of Nicholas and Perenelle carefully adding ingredients to a simmering caldron

"Is it done?"

Nick looked at him, a certain hardness behind his usually joyful eyes

"Nearly. Harry is finally out then?"

"Ya… He knows something is up though"

-Sigh- "Figures, I knew he was a bright kid."

Tom shook his head again, and as the clock struck midnight his previously solid body flaked into ash leaving behind a glowing shield with the Lion of Gryffindor emblazoned across the front of it. Nick shook his head.

"Curse the soul of the bastard who first thought up Horcrux."

The shield hovered for only a few seconds before it began to fall. Thankfully Perenelle was ready with a hovering charm.

"Alright, we start in an hour love."

Nicholas nodded.

"An hour it is."

Shaking his head under the invisibility cloak Harry slipped back out through the psudo-wall, he had a lot to think about.

* * *

AN:

So, Obviously more going on than meets the eye. Harry, while more trusting than he was, is obviously not going to let something like this go without investigation.

Love it? Hate it? Want to make Snarky comments at me, or correct spelling? Feel Free to hit the 'Review' Button and let er rip!

Manatheron


	8. Path Unchosen 7

AN: Blame FatesShadow83 for this, I do ^.^

* * *

_Tom shook his head again, and as the clock struck midnight his previously solid body flaked into ash leaving behind a glowing shield with the Loin of Gryffindor emblazoned across the front of it. Nick shook his head._

"Curse the soul of the bastard who first thought up Horcrux."

The shield hovered for only a few seconds before it began to fall. Thankfully Perenelle was ready with a hovering charm.

"Alright, we start in an hour love."

Nicholas nodded.

"An hour it is."

Shaking his head under the invisibility cloak Harry slipped back out through the psudo-wall, he had a lot to think about.

* * *

"Parsel is a actually a great deal more common than most people believe, especially in the old families, but the stigma on it means that most will actively try to avoid mentioning or showing it."

Harry nodded as he worked on his assigned Potion, Carefully adding three drops of Raa blood to his simmering concoction.

"you wouldn't believe the number of healers that 'suddenly' find they have the gift of parsel shortly after they are certified."

Harry, without taking his eyes off the slowly darkening potion Harry asked

"Why would they admit it after becoming a healer?"

Nick chuckled as Harry's potion exploded rather violently, painting Harry and most of the surrounding area a florid lime green.

"Mainly because Parsel healers are greatly sought after for cursebreaking. Especially in Egypt and South America where many of the curses on the tombs and temples were in parsel."

Harry glared at the completely clean Nick (who had cast a shield charm at the last second)

"You knew that this was about to happen!"

Nick grinned

"Of course, I sabotaged the instructions so it would."

Harry continued glaring for a moment before sighing and cleaning off the work area and his books with a quick flick of his borrowed wand. Shaking his head he pulled out his reactionary table to find out what it was that the Raa blood had reacted with. Nick watched him study in silence for a few minutes until Harry suddenly spoke up

"Is parsel that much stronger?"

"Hmm?"

"Parsel tounge. Is it such a stronger magic?"

"Stronger? Where did you get that impression? Using parsel is neither stronger nor weaker for casting spells, it's merely another language. You must not have gotten to this yet in DADA but the stronger curses can only be lifted if your speaking the same language, and in some cases, dialect, that they were cast in.

Harry looked up in surprise

"Really? Why is it considered the mark of a dark wizard then?"

"There are several types of serpent that only a parsel can control aren't there? Most of which are rather deadly if I remember correctly. They simply fear what they have no hope of understanding."

Harry nodded and pulled out more ingredients. He was pretty sure he knew where Nick had changed the potion, and was happy enough to let the conversation die

* * *

_To Fragment your own soul._

The Very thought still made him shudder a little. It hadn't taken him long to find out about Horcrux, Nick's library had a book on Identifying them and a basic description of what they were, but little else, And the moment harry knew the truth, he had quietly approached Nick about it. The discussion had been nothing if not enlightening, and apparently Voldimort had made a critical mistake.

From what Nick had told him, creating horcrux required you to fragment off a specific attribute of yourself. In the Chamber of Secrets he had Apparently destroyed the embodiment of Voldimort's youth. Sadly however it seemed the he had managed to make more than one. From Nick he learned that over the summer Dumbledore had destroyed the embodiment of Volidmort's Quick temper and Impatience, but neither Dumbledore, nor the flammels knew whether or not he managed more. Not until Nick and Harry had approached Tom.

Tom knew not only the number, but the location of one more, and of course, himself. Tom though was unique; He was Voldimort's only true mistake. Tom was the embodiment of Voldimort's humanity, and as such Tom and Voldimort were no longer truly attached. Tom was an Independent soul attached to an object rather than a body, there was only the most tentative of links between him and Voldimort.

Tonight, Even that would change. Nick and Pernelle believed that they finally had a way to give Tom a permanent body, and the moment Harry found out he had demanded to be involved as well. It was the Half moon this evening, The balancer between the Darkness of the new moon, and the Harsh Radience of the Full moon. Tonight all things Balanced.

_Thank God I finally finished my new wand._

"Harry? Are you ready?"

Shaking himself out of his stupor Harry took a moment to review. After only two months with the Flamel's he felt more at home than he ever had a Private drive, and that had made his decision even easier.

"Feel free to start Nick."

_A Brother… this is going to be different…_

* * *

As Nicholas began chanting, many miles away alarms began to sound in the office of one Albus Dumbledore.

_What the HELL?_

Frantically scurrying over to the silver instruments Albus watched in shock as the power started rapidly bleeding away from the blood wards over Number four Privet drive.

_Oh No!_

Moving quickly he grabbed the port key to Harry's room and disappeared in a flash of sparkling blue.

* * *

"NICK! WHATS WRONG?"

Nick didn't answer right away however, something was fighting the bonding ceremony, and it was centering on Harry's inclusion in the rite.

_Whatever's trying to block this is certainly powerful_

Around the room winds whipped bottles into walls, and bursts of magic gouged holes in the ceiling.

"HARRY! DID YOU SEND THE NOTE TO YOUR RELATIVES?"

"YES!"

'The note' was a rather deceptive name actually. Harry had written to his 'Family' at number four telling them what to expect.

-flashback-

Sighing Harry read over the note one last time.

'_Dearest' Uncle__This little note is to tell you that I reciprocate your feelings completely,  
I realize that there is no love lost between the two of us, so I'll keep this short. _ _At the moment I am gone. I have no intention of coming back, but if _

_My magical minders should find me I have no doubt that I will be _

_forced to return. I've found a way around this however. All you _

_Need to do to keep me away for good is to get Aunt Petunia to say_

_(And mean) "I Vow on my blood that Harry Potter is not, and never _

_will be, part of my family, and he is no longer welcome in my home."_

_After that the wards come crashing down, and they can't be put back up._

_I do warn you however that you might want to be living elsewhere when _

_She says that, because the magical energy release will probably draw _

_Every one of my kind for miles._

_Thankfully not yours,_

_Harry James Potter_

_PS. They might still try and send me back if they catch me. If you don't want to see that happen then I ask that you and Aunt Petunia both sign and date the enclosed Adoption forms as I've found someone who wants me. My owl will stay around long enough to carry them to one of our Solicitors._

-End Flashback-

Harry shook his head and tried to hold on tighter to the edge of the lead cauldron as the magic surrounding him started lifting him off the ground.

_Soon, it'll all be over soon, I just have to hang on.  
_  
-Three hundred Miles Away-

"Pet? Are you alright? Is... Is_ 'It'_ happening yet?"

Petunia looked at her fearful husband and Cowering son.

_Drat that Boy, whats a few minuted to midnight matter anyway  
_  
"I, Petunia Dursley, Vow on my blood..."

* * *

All was quiet at number four privet drive, and had been all night until the appearance of the man. He was tall, Half dressed, and carrying a piece of rather ratty looking parchment when he appeared. He also had a smoothly polished stick in his hand.

"HARRY?"

Wildly dumbledore looked around, he could still feel the wards, but they were draining at an increadible rate.

_If this keeps up the energy release will become visible, Where's Harry!_

Turning the old man sprinted up the stairs with a nimbleness that belied his age. Striding quickly down the hallway he jerked open the door to the smallest bedroom in Number four

_I need, I need... something, something of his that I can temporarily tie the wards to until he can get back here and stabilize them._

Almost as though he had called it an old broken quill rolled out from under the desk as he bumped it in his haste. Dumbledore paused only a second before scooping it up

_Not Ideal, but beggers can't be choosers I suppose._

Focusing Albus began the chant to tie the wards to one of Harry's possessions.

* * *

The wind and wild magic had picked up to feverish heights now, and Harry was holding on for dear life as his feet only occasionally managed to brush against the stones of the floor, Around him swirled the bottles and beakers that normally occupied the now shattered shelves, the Magical discharges seemed to have slowed though none of them knew why.

JUST KEEP HOLDING ON HARRY. THIS IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH WRITING NEW RITUALS, SOMETIMES THEY HAVE UNEXPECTED SIDE-EFFECTS.

Harry opened his mouth to reply when a piercing pain tore into his back, a sharp twisting sensation and a strong burning feeling, It was the type of pain that he had long since come to expect from the backlash of the Caractus curse when Voldimort used it during a Vision. Silently he gritted his teeth, He didn't know what it was that must have hit him, but he wasn't about to cry out.

* * *

Albus' chanting had grown to a feverish pitch now, whatever it was that was draining the wards was fighting his bonding ritual, and he was being forced to pour more and more effort into keeping the wards stable and intact. In his subconscious mind he registered the nimbus of power that was surrounding the property, a brilliant white that had the neighbors sticking their heads out the windows, but at the moment he didn't care, He'd modify their memories later. For now he had to focus on keeping the wards from collapsing. Faintly it seemed he could hear someone speaking, but he was to busy to pay attention till he heard the words.

..._is not, and never will be, part of my family..._

that sounds like petunia, and if I didn't know better I'd say she's...

The shock nearly broke his tentative grasp on the errant wards

_She wouldn't..._

* * *

Harry cried out, The pain had finally become too much to bear, hard as he tried, his convulsing fingers refused to hold on any longer, and his hands slipped off. Curling up from the pain Harry was lifted up toward the center of the magical maelstrom. Faintly he heard a woman speaking

... _and he is no longer welcome ..._

_Sorry Nick, Sorry Tom, guess I fell just shy of what you needed.._

* * *

"and he is no longer welcome in my home."

The words spoken Petunia closed her eyes and waited for the magic to do something. After a minute or so of just standing there with her face scrunched up she cracked open an eye

"Well? Anything?"

"N... No pet! I thought th... that I saw this odd yellowish light around you for a moment, but I swear that 's it."

"Hrumph, That was probably it."

"Th... then we're done with him? He's gone for good?"

"Did you send in the form?"

Vernon's pasty white face slowly regained it's color as he nodded.

"Yes. And good riddence to the lot of them."

The words had no sooner left his mouth than the three of them heard a Loud 'Crack' Just outside their hotel room.

Dudly whimpered and Vernons face went white again

"A C...Car... It was probably just a..."

It was then that the door Blew off it's Hinges and Albus stepped into the Room wreathed in a Silver Aura.

"PETUNIA DURSLEY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!"

* * *

As suddenly as it had started it stopped, The pain, the power, it cut off as though severed by a knife blade, Dropping Harry and the various Detruis onto the floor. It was still for a moment before Harry distantly heard a voice calling to him

"Harry? Harry! Get up!"

_Nick?_

It seemed a superhuman feat, but on willpower alone harry managed to climb to his knees, and then stagger drunkenly to his feet, It was only then that he noticed the feeling of saturation in the air, as though a storm were still brewing. Shaking his head he tried to shrug off the feeling. It didn't work though as his head felt stuffed with cotton. Wavering on the spot he peered around, and the room seemed to swim in front of his eyes. His glasses had been lost early on in the maelstrom, but he was still having a harder than usual time trying to focus, and all his limbs felt weighted down as though his muscles had turned to lead.

"Harry! If you can hear me You must complete the ritual, all it takes is a few drops of blood in the Calderon."

Blearly harry looked around

_Pernelle?_

Staggering Harry lurched toward the Pot containing the potion in which Tom had willingly lowered himself minutes before, dissolving his corporeal body and leaving behind only the shield to which he was bound. Harry didn't make it however as he tripped over part of a broken bench, and landed roughly on his hands and knee's. Shaking his head He looked up again at the drunkenly spinning walls.

"Harry, I know it's hard, But you MUST complete the ritual, It's not safe to stop in the middle."

Harry closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before determinedly climbing to his feet again and moving the rest of the way to the cauldron. Arriving he peered suspiciously into it for a moment trying to remember what he was supposed to do.

_Cauldron... It needs something... Blood?... Whose?... Mine was it?..._

Shaking his head again he looked around for the knife that he had watched Nick clean only a few short minutes ago. Unfortunately, Like eveything else it had been picked up and tossed around.

_Where's the knife? Should be here..._

Blinking rapidly he looked around for it. It seemed that he could distantly hear someone trying to talk to him but somehow it didn't seem to make much difference. Casting around again he failed for a third time to find the knife.

_No knife?... No knife... something else then..._

Harry could hear someone trying to talk to him again, but the words refused to make sense. Shrugging to himself he decided it would be best to Ignore them and get on with what he was doing. It was just then that his eyes fell upon a sliver of glass broken off of one of the empty potion flasks.

_Good enough for me._

Ignoring the muscle spasms he bent down and picked it up. Straightening he hefted it in his hand before nodding to himself and slashing it across his other hand which he stared at for a moment before holding it over the cauldron.

_Nothing happened... Something else then... What else... Words Maybe?..._

"The Binding is set."

It was then that he felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around him,

_The person who said the words perhaps..._

"Easy harry, We can take it from here."

Harry nodded blearily at the sound of Nicks voice and allowed himself to collapse. Closing his eyes he let Nick prop him up against the warm cauldron, and as though from a long way off he heard his mentor's voice rising

"_Horn of the Unicorn deliberately shed, you shall rebuild the body"  
_  
There was a splash then and harry could feel the Cauldron heat up a little more. Pernelle continued however

"_Blood of the mentors, Intentionally spilled, you shall reclaim the soul"_

Harry heard a slight hiss from Pernelle and the sounds of twin trickles of what was presumably blood dripping into the mixture. Again the Cauldron heated further and Nick continued

_"Hope of the witness consciously used, you shall herald the return!"_

Forcing himself to stay awake Harry could feel the heavyness in the air abate slightly before thickening more than ever. The culdron was now uncomfortably hot, and Harry managed to crawl away from it a bit and prop himself up on a broken Bench. He was facing them now, and he could see Pernelle sprinkle some dust across the frothing surface of the pot.

"_Ash of the Phoenix, Willing given, You shall resurrect the fallen"_

Harry Pulled himself back to his feet, and shakely drew his wand. He didn't know why, but something told him that his part was not yet finished. The potion had turned a bright, eye searing orange now, and had stopped all movement, still as death, smooth as glass. Were it not for the fact that the pot was now glowing red, harry would have thought that the ritual failed, He managed to mumble along with Nick and Pernelle however as they spoke the last verse.

"_Bond of the family freely Imparted, you shall claim the redeemed."_

The pot's glow brightened, turning white now and radiating heat to such an extent that Nick and pernelle had been forced back several steps to keep from being burned. Nodding at each other Nick and Pernelle drew their wands, but Harry had already beaten them to it. Power flowed into him, through him. In increasing, unending torrents it built. he could feel the burning sensation returning as the magic searched frantically for an outlet. Forcing himself to stand straight harry pointed his new wand at the pot and spoke, His voice reverberating with the power flowing through him.

"_**INFLECTO!**__**"**_

There was a rushing noise, and then a tremendous Explosion, and then Harry knew no more.

* * *

Sighing Albus rubbed the bridge of his nose where his glasses usually sat. It had been one hell of a night. Glancing over he looked at the note petunia had handed to him as proof that she was telling the truth.

_Harry... What have you done..._

* * *

"...arry? Harry? Can you hear me?"

Blearily Harry opened his eyes and stared into the worried face of Pernelle.

"Just five more minutes OK?"

Pernelle rocked back to her knees. Breathing a sigh of relief.

"Take as long as you want."

Harry nodded slightly and then curled up and went back to sleep. Pernelle on the other hand shared a look of relief with Nick. when Harry had said the final incantation for the ritual, the power of the spell had literally blown the cauldron apart. Both She and her husband had been forced to act quickly to shield themselves from the worst of it. Harry it seemed had simply tripped backwards over the bench he had been leaning against which had apparently served to keep the shrapnel of the pot from hitting him.

"He's fine Nick, just exhausted. Give me a hand getting the two of them to bed."

Nick nodded and turned toward the place were Tom lay, breathing heavily as though he had just run a marathon, His head resting against the shield he had once been bound to., and he couldn't help but smile.

_Finally, My sons..._

* * *

Whistling Harry moved about in garden with Pernelle. It had only been a couple of days since the resurrection ceremony, but this was the first day harry had been cleared to use magic again. Apparently had had exhausted his body by performing the binding ritual so soon after the collapse of the wards around number four, both of which had required him to endure a certain amount of physical stress as his mind and body shifted to accommodate the altered flows of magic.

"And make certain you get that bush over there Harry. Damn things keep popping up no matter how many times I pull them."

Without looking Harry summoned the plant only to drop it in shock and surprised pain when his hand closed around thorns.

"OUCH! Hey!"

Pernelle hid a grin.

"That'll teach you to watch what your doing! You could have Killed the dandelion! Do you know how hard it is to get them to grow?"

Harry Paused in shock at this.

_DANDELION is hard to grow? I've pulled thousands of them out of aunt petunia's grass!_

He received a second shock when he looked down at the 'weed' he had just summoned.

"HEY! This is a Rose bush!"

Pernelle glanced up

"So? They're still weeds. The magic makes them sprout at a rather alarming rate"

"But... But these are expensive! Do you know how many hours I spent pampering my aunts rosebush just to keep it alive? And dandelions? Now THEY are weeds. you can't kill the damn things, and yet you're saying that they're difficult to grow?

Pernelle just gave harry a small smile as she shook her head.

"Welcome to the world of wizardry."

* * *

It had now been nearly three months since Harry had come to live with the Flamels, and he had settled into a routine quite well, for the first time in his life he was content with the routine that he had set up for himself. Today however was different, He had been working with Tom on putting the finishing touches on a joint project for Nick on the effectiveness of Runic stones as focal points for warding. This of course had required them to actually attempt a warding themselves, and they had been nearly finished when Nick had called him away. Brushing off the stone chips as best he could Harry ran a hand though his hair as he walked down the hall toward Nick's office.

_At least it's not green anymore._

Nick had let him walk around painted the same lurid green for too long after his Alchemy prank, and the color had set. It had taken almost a full month before the color had faded, and even now he still had a slight greenish pallor. Pernelle hadn't been pleased, and he had come down stairs the day after to find Nick sleeping on the couch. Nick had privately confided in him later however that he didn't really mind it, they had _Very_ comfortable couches after all. Dusting his clothes off one more time Harry pushed open the door to Nick's study only to freeze in shock.

"P... Professer?"

"Ah Harry! Glad to see your looking so well! I trust that you've had a fruitful summer!"

Harry's eyes darted from Nick to the smiling Albus several times before he took a step backward.

"No."

Nick looked slightly surprised and Dumbledore's smile faded slightly

"No? You haven't been keeping busy?"

Harry shook his head.

"Oh I've been busy enough, rather happy to be quite honest, but I won't do it, not again!"

Harry's gaze suddenly shifted to the curious looking Nick,

"And I thought better of you! You said that you took me in on my own merits! You just did it as a favor to him didn't you! Well I won't go back! You can kick me out if you like, But I refuse to go back there!"

Nick turned a puzzled gaze to Albus, but the aged headmaster paid him no attention, his saddened eyes were now locked on Harry.

"Is our relationship truly that damaged? That you would automatically assume the worst from me?"

Harry Leveled him with a stare.

"No offense sir, but you should have told me in my first year, you shouldn't have locked me in your office, you should have warned me that Voldimort might have a mental connection to me, and above all you should have found someone better than Severus Bloody Snape to teach me Occlumency! And DON'T try to tell me that I should call him 'professor', because the only thing that snarky bastard has taught me, is a greater level of temper control and anger management."

Albus bowed his head briefly taking two or three deep breaths before answering.

"I do not deny" He finally said "that I have made a great many mistakes when it comes to you, but I hope that you can at least trust that I had your best interests in mind."

Harry gave him an appraising look.

"Just tell me one thing."

"Ask. If I can answer I shall"

"How much did you know?"

Dumbledore sighed, pulled off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose before replacing them and tiredly staring Harry in the eyes.

"I regret to inform you that I knew very little until the unfortunate incident with your Aunt a few weeks ago. Several of the things her husband said to me struck warning chords in my mind, so I investigated more throughly. Having done so I find that I have a very large debt to you, while it's not yet a life debt I fear that it is perilously close to becoming yet another one."

Dumbledore leaned back and rubbed his eyes again.

"Another? You owe him a life debt already?"

Harry and Dumbledore both looked over at the shocked Nicholas, both had been so wrapped up in the moment that they had forgotten about the third person in the room. Dumbledore looked over at Harry who sighed in resignation before nodding to him to continue.

Leaning forward again Dumbledore cleared his throat

"Several Actually."

"What?!"

"What!"

Nick glanced over at harry who had spoken the same moment he himself did.

"As headmaster of Hogwarts I have certain responsibilities to my school, staff, and most of all, to my students. It is my job to look after all of you, to protect and guard you, to teach you what you need to survive. I have failed you several times in situations that you should not have been in. I owe you a debt for saving the stone in your first year."

"So you DID set it up as a test!"

Albus frowned

"No, I just didn't think that a bunch of first years would manage to make it though to my decoy."

Harry's face went shock white

"What?"

Albus looked apologetic as he continued

"The supposed traps were all decoys. The stone you recovered was nothing more than a rather rare and beautiful gem. It was not in fact the sorcerers stone, but rather a particularly powerful containment vessel that had been charmed to capture anyone or anything that broke the mirror. The Only safeguard I could put on it was that if a person were to look into the mirror wishing only to find the sorcerers stone, But not use it, My trap wouldn't activate."

"And why" Harry said struggling to keep his tone level "Did you never tell me this before?"

Dumbledore hung his head.

"I had rather thought to allow you to relish your victory rather than telling you that you had sprung a trap meant for another. I'm sorry."

Harry snorted and Dumbledore looked up in shock as a sound suspiciously like laughter escaped the teen's mouth.

"Brilliant! Insane, Simple, yet effective. Second year?"

"Sadly I had no control in that situation. I had divined what the creature most likely was, but I had no way of entering the chamber to bring the battle to it, nor could I figure out how it was getting around. I was rather shocked when Fawks was asked to go retrieve you."

Dumbledore gave Harry a rather piercing look, and Harry squirmed for a moment

"How did you manage to call the Phoenix to you?"

"I... I thought you said that it was my loyalty to you that triggered it."

Dumbledore seemed to ponder that for a moment before inclining his head.

"I suppose that would be enough for first contact anyways."

Harry was about to speak again when Nick interrupted.

"As fascinating as this all is, and As much as I would like to hear more."

Nick Paused to give harry a look that quite clearly said 'You will tell me everything'

" This reminiscing is not why Albus is here, Nor is he going to take you back to your relatives house. In fact the only way he found us is because it was he who was Anchoring the wards at Number four."

Harry Interrupted by jumping to his feet.

"WHAT! You almost KILLED ME you old coot!"

Albus, who had regained some of his normal youthful look during their banter, paled again.

"Then it's another life debt after all. I had hoped there was no lasting harm from that, but please keep in mind that this was before I discovered the truth about your relations."

Harry took several deep breaths under the stern gaze of Nicholas before sitting back in his chair and looking at his headmaster

"It seems Professor, that you and I are going to have to sit down and discuss all that has happened at some point."

Albus inclined his head toward Harry, but his eyes never left the intense green glare.

"You are of course correct. But I'm afraid we must discuss this at a later time. You will want to have a few minutes to clean up I'm sure."

"AS I WAS SAYING!" Thundered Nickolas. Both men turned to look at him sheepishly.

"When you did the ritual you gave some of your blood toward the redemption of a wayward soul, in doing so you made him your brother."

Albus looked intreagued and then shocked as Harry replied

"So Anywhere he calls home offers me the same protections?"

Nick gave him a small grin.

"Actually since you mingled it with mine and Pernelle's blood, you're family to us too, but that's beside the point."

Harry stared at him in in unblinking shock, his mouth slowly opening and closing as he tried to process what he had just heard.

"Harry? Harry? Come on kid, snap out of it."

Starting, Harry blushed slightly as he refocused on the present.

"S... sorry, it's just a lot to take in."

Nick waved him to silence however

"Look, I hate to drop this on you, but Sirius' will reading is today, and the goblins informed Albus that he was to produce you or suffer the consequences under their law."

Harry glared at Dumbledore who held his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"You can't blame me for this one, they've been trying to reach you for weeks, it's not my fault that the Flamel's wards keep stopping your post! I didn't even realize where you were till they contacted me last night."

Harry sighed.

"Alright, I suppose I can't get out of it."

Both men shook their heads no.

"Then I may as well make a day of it. Give me a few minutes to change and grab money pouch and we can go."

"Excellent Idea Harry! I'll flu Minerva for your results and available classes. You can pick up your books and things while we're in the alley."

Harry shook his head as he left the room

_What a day._

* * *

The goblin squinted around at the assembled witches and wizards present to be certain that everything was in order before clearing his throat.

"We are gathered here today to bear witness to the last will and testament of one Sirius Orion Black, are all parties present?"

Harry glanced around at the assembled people being especially careful to keep a weather eye on Draco and Narcissa, and earning a sneer in reply. There was a moment's pause and Draco opened his mouth to say something, no doubt a protest or a snide remark of some kind, but the goblin spoke again before he could get his comment out.

"Good. I am here only to present the Portrait of the deceased and to make certain that it remains intact until it has completed it's primary duty."

The Goblin then moved to the side and, with a twitch of it's gnarled finger, unveiled the portrait of a much healthier looking Sirius black which immediately smirked at them.

"Good afternoon to you all" It said with a grin "or not as the case might be." he added while cutting his eyes to Draco. "This portrait was commissioned shortly before my imprisonment, and was bound with a life link to my real body. This means that I know everything that the real Sirius did up until the duel with his darling cousin Belletrix. Neither of us were ever exactly eloquent unless womanizing, so I'll keep this short and to the point. Aunt Andy, Welcome back to the family, Ted, Nymmy, I bid you welcome as well. I leave each of you Ten thousand Galleons."

Andromeda shook her head at the typical Sirius bluntness, and Tonks and Ted both smiled a bit.

"To the Weasly family I relinquish the Black's claim to your voting rights in the Wizengamot, and give you back the Golden Meadow. Arthur, the property has been kept as a private garden and targeting range, the charms should recognize you and your family as the proper owners again, but I'm afraid that the greenhouses, paddocks, and manor have fallen into disrepair, so I also grant your family five thousand galleons to spend as you see fit in recompense."

Arthur nodded, a wide smile spreading across his face as he felt the wards shifting to recognize his family's returned ownership.

"To Remus, Congratulations, you inherent Grimmauld. Burn it if you like, but as a so called 'Dark creature' the wards should adapt to your innate magic fairly easily, if they give you trouble though, a drop or two of blood on an old bit of scrap parchment might just give you the necessary answers."

Remus looked a little grim as he nodded in understanding.

"Oh cheer up Moony old boy, I happen to know that there was quite a tidy sum of money in that old battleaxe's safe as she didn't trust the goblins completely. Never could figure that one out. The best I could guess is that it was a little latent banshee blood. Hopefully you'll have better luck than I did at getting the old hag to shut up."

Remus managed a small smile at this, and apparently it was enough to satisfy the portrait.

"And now we come to the end of the list. Bella gets nothing as she murdered the family head. If it weren't for the fact that she's an insane bitch I'd dissolve her marriage, as it is she's disavowed. I believe that the goblins should have the paperwork processed already. Sissy, I never did understand what you see in Malfoy... I don't suppose I can talk you into divorcing him?"

Narcissia scowled at the painting, and Sirius Sighed.

"Didn't think so. I know that your husband is old fashioned enough to allow you your dowry account, so I grant you five thousand galleons. Go buy some books or something. I still maintain that for all the reading you do you should have been a 'claw."

Narcissa shook her head, the scowl still firmly on her face.

"Draco, My darling almost neffy-poo." Draco scowled "let it never be said that I was uncharitable. I leave you two knut's, Rub them together if you like. I also leave you a little advice from someone who was raised to be a Slythern. Subtlety is the key to your house, and making powerful enemy's is not conducive to future business deals no matter who's robes your daddy is kissing. Mr Goblin!"

The goblin took half a step forward and cast bored eyes in the direction of the portrait.

"If you would kindly check him for the dark mark?"

still bored, the goblin waved a hand in Draco's direction vanishing his shirt and dispelling the wards and charms on him. Draco glared as his previously platinum hair turned a rusty red-Blond and his clear complexion received a smattering of acne. But he held out his arms none the less. The goblin gave them a quick glance before turning back to the portrait.

"he's clean."

Sirius nodded.

"Very well. I formally accept you as a black heir. Should the head die before he manages to reproduce you will be the..."

"WHAT? I'M THE HEAD!"

Sirius shook his head.

"See, this is what I'm talking about, all noise and no subtly. Harry, You're the new head. you get the rest of my junk, and this rather neat portrait of me. Sadly, that's all that I have to give away, So you can all leave n..."

the portrait however was interrupted by an irate Draco Malfoy.

"I challenge the will! There is no way that Potter." He paused a moment and literally spat on the floor in front of Harry. "should be the head of house! My mother was the closest thing to an heir, and as the black family is patriliniel that makes ME the new head of house!"

The portrait gave him a rather nasty smirk.

"Care to wager your heir status on that? Cause that's what your doing. Narcissia, did you warn him about what challenging my will means."

Draco glared again.

"I know what I'm risking, but I also know what my rights are, and I won't have you giving a... a MUDBLOOD MY title!"

Unnoticed the goblin had finally lost his bored expression and was now standing ready with a malicious gleam in his eyes. Sirius' smirk cranked it's self up a notch.

"Excellent! Mr Goblin! The genealogy of the black family if you please."

The goblin bared it's teeth in a gruesome semblance of a human grin before waving a hand at the far wall where the black family line appeared.

"Excellent, and now light up the relevant section if you will."

With another wave the lower section of the tree lit up and magnified showing Sirius' immediate family line, and Draco gave a satisfied smirk as he was the only living male shown to have a direct blood decent from Artictus Black.

"There, you see Potty? Pity the mutt didn't think to provision you something hmm?"

the portrait snickered drawing looks from the rest of the assembled people.

"If you would now light up the descendent's line Mr. Goblin."

with another wave of his hand a silver line traced it's self from Articus to Narcissia to Draco. Draco frowned however.

"I thought the direct Inheritance line showed up in..."

His mouth dropped Open as a gold line traced it's self from Artictus and than upward to his father, causing the map to zoom out another generation before following the line as it traveled from Polaris Black to the name Ares Black-Evans. In blue below the name was another series of names. Sirius' portrait spoke up as the golden line traced it's way down the blue threads.

"For those of you who don't know, Blue indicates Adepts. People who can use only specific branches of magic. Sadly they are considered squibs by today's standards, and are therefore denied the education necessary to function in our world. They are however still qualified for inheritance under our laws, and as Draco was so quick to point out, the black family Inheritance is patrilinial. This means that if there is a direct male decendant..."

Draco's face began to grow red as the lines continued till it hit the name Lily Evans/Potter. The portrait continued speaking as the line stopped and Lily's name flashed black one time.

"The black flash indicates that there are no direct male descendants, but the fact that the gold traveled the path that it did indicates that the adept line should have been ruling the house these last two generations or so. Sadly they never claimed their titles, but with the re-introduction of a full blooded witch, and a particularly powerful one at that, the Inheritance magic has chosen to follow the primary lines of inheritance."

The Name 'Lily Potter' Flashed black again before the gold thread Linked it's way across to 'James Potter' and then appeared at the bottom of the entry and continued

"Directly to one Harry James Potter. I assure you that I was as shocked as the rest of you when I first discovered it, but you can rest assured that the will would have been a little different if I had any doubts about who would inherit."

there was a moment of silence before Draco suddenly yelled.

"I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS! WAIT UNTIL MY FATHER..."

He got no farther than that however before the four foot nothing goblin hoisted him up bodily and threw him out the door with enough force to send him skidding back thirty feet before closing it firmly in Draco's shocked face.

"Gringotts will expect his Hundred Galleon fine in no less than a week. As he has protested that we did our job incorrectly and he was found to be in the wrong, Gringotts bank refuses to recognize his inheritance as valid. Be glad he wasn't of age or it would have been a thousand"

Sirius' portrait nodded.

"In that case it is my sad duty to eject him from the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. He is no longer an heir designate."

The assembled people stared at the portrait in shock. All of them, except for Narcissia.

"Was that really necessary Sirius?"

The portrait stared at her with an odd look in on it's face for a moment before shrugging.

"Sadly, yes, it was. Sorry Cissy, but the laws are quite clear on that point. I won't deny however that I rather enjoyed doing it."

Narcissia however shook her head again before regally standing up and turning to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, you now head two family's, as such you will be required by law to produce an heir for the both of them. Expect to see a proposal from the house of Malfoy."

with that she swept out of the room and collected a fuming Draco before turning and walking away leaving a confused Harry behind her.

"What did she mean by that?"

Harry was shocked to hear several snickers from behind him.

"What?"

Arthur was kind enough to answer him

"The Malfoy family has a long history of segregation. The men are in charge of the boy's, the women of the girls, and it would appear that Draco has a sister, and Narcissa intends to propose an arranged marriage when she's old enough."

Harry went slack jawed

"Wizards still DO that?"

The chuckles from the remaining wizard raised turned into full blown laughter and even Arthur's mouth twitched a little as he answered.

"Not very often, usually only to end a feud, or to get a daughter out of a bad situation. The Blacks, The Malfoy's, the Bones', and several others sundry families still do so for the prestige or political reasons, or even just to keep in the tradition, though arranged courtships are more common now-days. You'll learn about all this over the course of the next year or so as your status in our world is explained to you during your traditional preparation for your inheritance of the Potter family. I assume that the Black family finances will be held in trust until his full inheritance?"

The goblin nodded and replied

"The Goblins of Gringotts shall continue to manage the accounts, as is tradition. Until such a time as Mr. Potter Inherits, at which point it is his decision whether or not to leave his finances in our hands."

Harry nodded, slightly lost, as Sirius' portrait spoke up again

"Well, now that Draco's little temper tantrum is out of the way I believe I can officially close will reading. Mr. Goblin, if you would be kind enough to hand this portrait to my godson we can all be on our way."

The goblin inclined his head slightly

"It was a pleasure , and I wish the best of both time and money to your Heir. Gringotts has valued your Business, Rest in Peace."

The painting Nodded solemnly,

"My your Enemies be strong and your fingers golden."

With that final comment and a wave of the goblin's hand the portrait shrunk down to a manageable size and floated across the room to Harry.

"Listen well to the Echo Mr. Potter. Lord Black was many things, but a fool he was not."

with that the Goblin turned and left the room.

"Well, all things considered that went rather well."

Startled Harry jumped slightly before Arthur smiled at him again.

"Ready to go out on the town?"

Harry shrugged

"Sure, why not."

* * *

AN:

I'm not entirely sure I like this. I get the feeling that I just introduced a bunch of plot holes, but I also have plans for a couple of the points so I don't know for certain...

Anyways. love it? Hate it? tell me all about it below,

Manatheron


	9. Elementally my Dear Harry

AN: I was digging through the files on a laptop I don't really use anymore when I stumbled across the Idea for this, it was just one line on a text document. "What if Pheonix aren't inherently good?" I was reading a MisguidedDumbles! story at the time, and this is... well... ya. Muse was on a roll so here you go!

* * *

Fawks looked on interest at as the young elf popped around the room removing Potter family artifacts and books and leaving mundane blanks in their place. After a few more moments the elf stopped in front of his master panting slightly from the effort.

"Dobby is sorry master, but Dobby is not being able to carry out master's request completely."

Harry glanced around the now much more mundane room, and then speculatively at the unconscious headmaster whose wand he was now holding

"I don't know, it looks like you removed well over a third of the contents of the office."

Harry glanced around a little nervously...

"You're sure that everything you took was Potter heirlooms?"

"Oh yes Master Harry Potter sir! All of master's Items have the Potter family crest on thems!"

Dobbys ears drooped after a moment though.

"But Dobby is sorry. Dobby can not remove the last of master's possessions. To even try would kill Dobby Master Harry Potter sir."

Harry was confused and more than a little alarmed

"what can't you move Dobby?"

"**That would be Me Harry Potter."**

Harry jumped at the ancient and gravely sounding voice

"What? Who?"

"**Over here Harry. The last potter family artifact is the one I'm sitting on."**

in surprise harry turned and looked at the only other living being in the room.

"Fawks?"

the phoenix nodded regally

"I own you?"

"**BWAHAHAHA! Own Me? HAHAHA! No Harry Potter, NO ONE can own me. You do however own the stand that keeps me in bondage."**

Harry's eyebrows shot up and he quickly brought his wand to bear, in fact he nearly managed to cast the explosive curse which he had intended to use to destroy the accursed object and free the phoenix when suddenly the wand was missing.

"Dobby is sorry Harry Potter sir, but Dobby doesn't think you will be wanting to do that."

"What! Why! Can't you see he's a prisoner?"

"**He stopped you because it was a wise thing to do."**

Harry's eyebrows rose into his hairline

"What? You don't want to be freed?"

"**Want to? OF COURSE I WANT MY FREEDOM!"**

As he said this fire blossomed in the air around him, a raging inferno that for just a moment threatened to flash fry the room and it's occupants before the pedestal triggered suppressing the heat and forcing the phoenix back into bird form.

"**But then what I want isn't what is best for your people in general, or you in specific."**

"What... But... I don't understand."

Dumbledore stirred behind him, and without even looking at him harry cast another stunner in his direction, the elder wand automatically adjusting his aim for him as the spell quickly dropped Albus back into the land of nod.

"**Of course you don't. Which is why the elf stopped you."**

Fawks eyed him speculatively for a moment before shrugging to himself and continuing

"**I have no desire to tell you the full tale, but the short version is this. I am an elemental. THE elemental of fire if you want to get specific. I am neither good, nor bad, I just am. Several thousand years ago I was laying waste to a piece of what was perfectly good arable farmland... which you now know as the Rub'al Khali desert by the way. When a man approached me. Your ancestor. He told me that he had asked a Genie for the perfect gift for me, one with which he ****might bargain for his family's life and safety. Intent on melting this... this... Travesty to slag and then turning the simple fool to ash I changed from element to animal. Better to impress his watching tribe on the foolishness of interrupting me. However the stand it's self was a trap, one made specifically for me by the Djinn. It locked me in this form, and has kept me locked in this form, bound to obey the last person who touched it with knowledge of what it does."**

"Why would you admit..."

"**BECAUSE I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TELL THE TRUTH YOU SIMPERING SIMIAN! Believe me, I want nothing quite so much as my freedom, but the truth is that it's for the betterment of humanity that I remain bound. I became a symbol of the light instead of destruction because only those people who are strong in order or goodness can touch this accursed stand. Only they could destroy it."**

"Dobby"

the poor elf was beside himself with misery. First he had failed his master's command, and then he had actually attacked the master himself! Huge teardrops dripped down the brownie's nose making little 'plink' sounds as they joined their siblings in a pool on the floor. The Poor elf was so miserable that he didn't even hear harry calling his name at first.

"Dobby!"

"Y...Yes master?"

"You did well Dobby. Thank you."

Dobby's eyes grew huge at the complement and he stared in wonder as his master walked foreward and grasped the stand. Fawks screeched in Rage as he was bound to the will of a new master, raging and flaming, trying with all his might to once again break free. Then like a thrown switch, he was calm, and Harry was standing there. One hand on the stand, the other stretched out to near the phoenix's head. Fawks stiffly bowed, placing his head in the palm of Harry's hand.

"**Command me master. I hear and Obey."**

* * *

****AN Postscript:

I can see this going a number of ways. The binding slowly corrupting the people it's bound too, The pheonix looking for any excuse to obey the letter of a command and not the spirit. Minup!Dumbledore realizing what happened and making a 180 in regards to Harry, doing his best to help the person who took an unwanted burden off his hands. Harry trying to give the pheonix back...

I can see everything from BADASS!Harry controlling the pheonix and rising to become the new leader of the light to MASTERMIND!Fawks who has Harry Constantly fighting his with his own conscience as to weather to follow legitimate if rather evil solutions or ignore the elemental and take the hard way.  
I could even see Fawks driving Harry completely insane which would have it's own problems... or possibly to illicit drugs? that'd make a good crack fic with Fawks whispering evil plots, and Harry too stoned to carry them out properly... But I digress.

Love it? Hate it? Tell me!

Manatheron


	10. Long Road Home

A/N: I've got this Idea for a Firefly/Harry Potter/Naruto Cross. Problem is that I don't feel I can write the crew of the 'Serenity' Well enough to pull it off. I'll probably work on this more at a later date, so let's call this a teaser...

-o.0-

Harry Grinned as he pulled the stethoscope away from the safe and pulled the handle disengaging the locks and, with a mild grunt he opened the door to find... A drawing of fox?

"What the hell..."

There was a slight hissing noise, as the Magnetic trigger he'd tripped by fully opening the door released a fast acting poison aerosol into the air.

"Fuck"

There was a sharp 'Crack' sound, and a minute later the aerosol's hiss finally stopped sounding in the empty room, again leaving the derelict transport as quiet and empty as it had been since three weeks Prior when the life support failed and the settlers had abandon ship.

-0.o-

Naruto Grinned to himself as he bent around the last of the ACDU (Air Current Detection Units) his natural control of the wind element making bypassing these usually incredibly tricky and sensitive devices as simple as walking through the room. Now all he had to do was get his hands on the Lassitar and get out. The swap was childs play, and that alone range alarm bells in his head. It wasn't until he was back on his ship however that he noticed the words 'Genuine Fake' with a lightning bolt etched behind it.

"That son of a bitch."

It was the first time he'd spoken since he got his hands on it, therefore he was a bit surprised when it replied: "Vocal disturbance detected. Initiating response protocol." Had he been even a moment slower with the Kawarimi the device's explosion could well have killed him. Thankfully the quick switch skill was one he didn't need seals to use, and it wasn't big enough to do more than rattle the other Merchandise in his hold.

"Fifth time this year. I'm going to have to do something about this guy"

-0.o-

Harry grinned and knocked back his drink as he eyed the women entering the bar across the way from him. Santo was a bit rough and tumble, and unlike nearby Persephone it occasionally had issue's with slavers, but he much prefered it to the Snobs that ran it's richer neighbor. Not likely to get into any so-called 'Honor duels' to the death here.

Sighing he flagged down the waitress and ordered another drink. Business before pleasure after all.

"Alright Tam. You called for this meeting, what do you want?"

Reginald Tam ran a hand through his thinning hair before replying.

"You have a reputation as a man who can... find things... I need help."

Harry Shrugged and took another drink

"I'm listening I suppose."

"I made a mistake and it cost me my son and daughter. I've tracked my son this far, but the trail goes utterly cold on Persephone. As to my daughter..."

Harry noted the grimace that crossed the older mans face.

"She was enrolled in a program that was not what it appeared to be. She tried to call for help, and only my son believed her. Either he broke her out, or she's dead, because the government is insisting there was never a program with any such name, and apparently she's been listed as a runaway since shortly after we shipped her off four years ago. I could get information on both the school and my daughter until two months ago when everything just..."

He trailed off and Harry didn't need legimacy to read the conflict and frusteration on the mans face.

"Please. My wife and I are well off. Whatever it costs we'll pay it, Just please. Find our children for us."

Harry sighed. It wasn't the first heartfelt plea he'd heard for this type of thing, and it still tugged at him even though he tried to ignore it.

"I make no promises Mr. Tam, but I'll look into it. What do you want me to do if I find them?"

Reginald leaned back, the relief clear on his face.

"Tell them I'm sorry and that we miss them. Tell my son that I made a mistake and that if he can find it in his heart to call me I'd like a chance to appologise to his face. He'll know how to get a hold of me."

"Very well. I'll see what I can do. Have a good evening Mr. Tam."

"Thank you Mr. Potter. I'll try."

-0.o-

Naruto rubbed his chin as he looked over the files that Fess Higgons had sent him. With the death of the man's father, control of the Canton Mud fields had fallen into his hands. The changes the young man made had not been immediate, but they did have the effect of a slowly raising morale, and a rapidly rising production of the sought-after ceramics that would probably have left an average man reeling. Fess however had taken it in stride and used it to further motivate his workers and increase his bottom line. It had been over a year since the elder Higgons death, and this was the first time the lad had taken time to contact him for something that wasn't strictly business. Though from a certain standpoint it could have been that too.

"So... this 'Jayne' guy... what exactly do you want me to do?"

"I... it's not just Jayne. There's a companion he's sharing ship with. Inara Sierra."

"Ahh... stole your girl."

Jealousy he could understand. He'd still turn down the contract, but he could understand it.

"NO! Well... I don't think so anyway."

"Oh? Then why do you care?"

"You've seen the statue?"

Naruto snorted

"Bit hard to miss really"

"Do you know how he got it?"

"Regular Robin Hood right?"

"Who?"

"Never mind. Stole a bunch of cash and gave it to the poor people."

"Right. He never explained why, he's only come back once, and that one time he tipped the statue over and proclaimed he was no hero. That hero's didn't exist..."

Naruto Quirked an eyebrow. It somewhat explained why the stupid thing was anchored into the ground at least.

"...anyway. The companion explained it all to me. How to be a man among men. How to hold your head up high and do the right thing regardless of what it costs you."

Naruto's other eyebrow joined the first, of all the things he was expecting to hear, THAT certainly wasn't it.

"It took me a long time to realize she was talking about more that just standing up to my father, and even then it wasn't until I realized that she was flying with the man they call Jayne that I was able to piece it together. She's like his prophet to the 'Verse you know? He speaks to the common man, she speaks to those who are foolish enough to ignore him under normal circumstances, and I just want to let them know that the message has been received loud and clear, and that they are welcome back at any time."

Naruto's eyebrows lowered, and a cocky grin split his face.

"I can't gaurentee that I can find a man like that, but If I do see... erm.. 'The Man they call Jayne' or his priestess. I'll be certain to pass along your message."

"Thank you, that's all I ask."

-o.0-

"So yer back are ya? Only mebbe I don't need yer help no more? Ya consider thet eh?"

Harry rolled his eyes slightly. He didn't exactly need the work, but life could get awfully boring without a job now and again, and he rather liked being on the wrong side of the law occasionally.

"Look badger. Wasn't my fault right? There was no way to know that the alliance would pick that Gorram day to change the shift schedule."

"_Zhen Dao Mei. _So you left my imager behind and made tracks?"

Harry smirked.

"Didn't say that. Just letting you know what a pain in the ass this thing was to get my hands on."

with a flourish and a slight of hand trick the 'Missing' Imager appeared in his hand.

"Well now. That changes things a tick dunnit?"

-0.o-


End file.
